


Hey demons! It's ya boi(s)!

by unclassified_senpai



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: A little crack, Alternate Universe - College/University, Baekchen are vloggers, Based On Buzzfeed Unsolved, CBX, ChenBaekXi, Comedy, Ghostly Apparitions, Horror, M/M, Slice of Life, Spooky, appearances from other groups etc, baekhyun screams a lot, based on my own supernatural experiences, buzzfeed unsolved au, can get creepy, i think, is this my contribution to halloween, it's horror but its funny, its funny and spoopy, jongdae is always laughing at baekhyun, minseok can see ghosts, minseok is really trying to save their asses, no specified timeline, omg, there's no actual ship SHIP in this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2020-12-24 22:11:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 124,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21106832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unclassified_senpai/pseuds/unclassified_senpai
Summary: Minseok has always been able to see ghosts.He used to be able to very directly communicate with them as a child. But when he started getting older, these sightings and interactions lessened, and somehow Minseok preferred that. He still saw ghosts, still felt their presence, still knew when a house or location was haunted/possessed. But it wasn’t as frequent, and Minseok likes to believe it’s because he’s too busy living a stressed student life to really notice anymore. But he couldn’t live in peace for too long because Jongdae and Baekhyun, the whirlwinds that they were, blew up a massive storm in Minseok’s life by declaring him their best hyung when they were both but freshman.And who is Minseok to deny them this.A Buzzfeed unsolved au where Baekhyun is a believer, Jongdae is a massive skeptic, and Minseok can actually see ghosts and tries his best to fend them off whenever BaekChen go ghost hunting.





	1. How it all fucking started.

This was never supposed to be serious.

In all seriousness, this was just supposed to be a dumb thing Baekhyun and Jongdae enjoyed doing.

Seriously.

But right now Minseok is _seriously _considering all of his life choices.

He’s staring straight into the very angry, very dark, and very _very _evil eyes that belong to a very violent spirit hovering above Jongdae as the latter exclaims out all forms of goading remarks and Baekhyun, in a high pitched voice, tries to shut him up.

Minseok holds its glare through the camera lens, sweating inside his jacket, wondering how he was going to have to distract this evil entity away from his idiotic best-friends.

Minseok has always been able to see ghosts and things that are not as benign as ghosts. He used to be able to very directly communicate with them as a child. But when he started getting older, it lessened, and somehow Minseok preferred that. He still saw ghosts, still felt their presence, still knew when a house or location was haunted/possessed. But it wasn’t as frequent, and Minseok likes to believe it’s because he’s too busy living a stressed student life to really notice anymore. But he couldn’t live in peace for too long because Jongdae and Baekhyun, the whirlwinds that they were, blew up a massive storm in Minseok’s life by declaring him their best hyung when they were both but freshman.

And who is Minseok to deny them this.

Sure maybe it’s because he has incredibly soft spots for the both of them, and they can all collectively bond over the pains of being vertically challenged. But it’s also mainly because of Baekhyun’s obsession with the supernatural.

Baekhyun experienced something supernatural, or he believes he did (_Minseok has seen the footage that supposedly captures a “spirit” moving a crumpled piece of plastic off of the edge of the sink)_ and since then has been obsessed with the supernatural. Watching supposed ghost sighting videos and getting freaked out, reading ghostly encounters and getting freaked out, going through jump-scare filled reddit posts and freaking out. Minseok wonders if Baekhyun might be slightly masochistic.

And Jongdae, Baekhyun’s best friend for many _many _(too many, according to Jongdae) years, finds the whole concept of supernatural things hilarious and dumb. With the exception of aliens. Which, Minseok thinks is both hilarious and slightly concerning because Jongdae has mentioned, more times than strictly necessary, how he wishes aliens would just come and end humanity. So Minseok is not sure if it’s really belief, or just desperation.

This all started because Baekhyun and Jongdae, both YouTubers with a decent number of subscribers, had expanded out of their usual content (they both produced and made short films, made random vlogs, mainly on supernatural content, debunking myths, discussing lore and myths, or arguing at each other for 15 minutes. Apparently this is quality content), and with funds provided for by viewers, started a series of vlog-like episodes of them going to haunted locations to film and document themselves trying to reach out and speak to ghosts/spirits. At first it had been small, local locations. But they gained quite a lot of views and interest and were able to acquire major sponsors and both Jongdae and Baekhyun found themselves internet-famous, with a steadily growing fanbase/viewers, and a check-mark on their channel.

And Minseok, their senior and best-hyung, was very pleased and proud of them. He was always there to help them when it came to advice on editing, pacing, or fixing footage. They were very keen on having him participate in their vlogs once they expanded out into something more legit than just filming themselves on their phone cameras. But Minseok always declined or just said that he would be there to help when needed. And sometimes, they did actually go to haunted places. Minseok can sometimes catch their soft shadows or shapes in their footage. But it wasn’t anything harmful or dangerous.

Ghosts were shy. Mostly afraid.

So the ones that appeared in their videos were either curiously natured spirits, or just confused spirits.

But this all changed when he was asked to help them out with a “fucked up footage hyung can you please help me” situation. Minseok showed up to their apartment after a morning class, ready to watch the b-rolls and pre-finalized video of their latest excursion when the hair on the back of his neck stands on end.

Baekhyun opens the door, big grin on his face, hair freshly washed and dry and very bouncy. He looks pleased, a little tired, and he smells overwhelmingly like coffee. And while that was all normal, what wasn’t normal were the hands on his shoulders, leading up to a disembodied torso floating above Baekhyun’s head.

‘Hyung! Come in come in!’ Baekhyun says brightly, completely unaware of this very malevolent spirit clutching on to him.

Minseok is very quick to school his features, ignoring the gnarled hands, and he steps inside the shared apartment, bracing himself.

Jongdae is similarly situated. Gnarled hands on his shoulders, and this time, a head leaning over Jongdae’s head, pointy chin resting atop of still damp locks.

‘Hyung!’ Jongdae waves brightly at him.

Well this was a complete mess.

Minseok wants to scream at the two of them. Because it’s not the two spirits on their shoulders.

There were at least 4 others hanging around, walking and drifting past in blurred colours and forms past Minseok’s direct peripheral vision.

‘Hey- what’s up?’ Minseok smiles, hoping he doesn’t look tense.

‘It’s this,’ Jongdae whines, pointing at his screen.

Minseok is a little distracted, trying to scope out this utter mess Baekhyun and Jongdae have gotten themselves into.

Minseok sits next to Jongdae while the latter groans and leans back on the couch. Minseok is only paying half of his attention as Jongdae scrubs along the project timeline, talking to Minseok about some transition effect plug-in that wasn’t working even though he paid 15 dollars for it.

‘Where did you guys go?’ Minseok asks.

‘We told you,’ Baekhyun complains from the kitchen where 2 of the spirits have gathered around him. ‘It’s about 4 hours drive from here. An abandoned asylum. Was a bitch to get the permission from the city council, but we managed. Even though it was only 6 hours, we paid- how much did we pay?’

‘A lot,’ Jongdae sighs, ‘We paid a lot for Baekhyun to scream each time we turned a corner.’

‘I hate asylums. Especially old ones,’ Baekhyun says defiantly, ‘This is our second one and it got worse.’

‘Well, it did stink.’ Jongdae remarks, sniffing violently, ‘Surprisingly not a lot of graffiti.’

‘Yeah- it’s probably too creepy to vandalize.’ Baekhyun nods in agreement. ‘Not too creepy for rats.’

They continue talking and Minseok half listens, half attempts to fix their footage, and is aggressively scanning their apartment for something- anything.

There was no way of being subtle about it. And there was no way of asking Baekhyun without alerting him to something. So Minseok’s best option is to ask Jongdae. Quickly.

‘So-‘ Minseok begins and Jongdae leans in at once, keeping attention clearly thinking that Minseok figured out what was wrong with their clips. ‘-did you guys grab any souvenirs from the asylum?’

‘Nah,’ Jongdae laughs, ‘Baek’s too scared to do something like that. Something about spirits being attached. I mean, gotta be respectful,’ he adds with a serious tone, ‘-it was a terrible place, haunted or not, what a terrible place.’

Jongdae was a skeptic yes, but he wasn’t an asshole about it even though he pretended to be for the sake of the occasional comedy-bits. That, combined with Baekhyun’s fright and wondrous respect for anything supernatural, was something that Minseok firmly believes has saved them from actual terrible situations. But clearly today was not that day.

‘I wanna go back,’ Baekhyun says from the kitchen, frying up a late brunch. ‘There was a lot we didn’t cover. We didn’t even get to go to the attic.’

‘Wood rot,’ Jongdae says at once, ‘I don’t want to rescue your ass because you fell through the attic floors.’

‘We could place our new static cameras! Leave cameras overnight!’ Baekhyun exclaims excitedly.

‘I’ll have to end up going through 6 hours of blank footage,’ Jongdae sighs to Minseok. ‘Baek can’t stand to watch these.’

Minseok is genuinely sweating.

Places being haunted was fine. But _people _being haunted was worrying because that strayed into the realm of something darker, something potentially _demonic_, for lack of a better word. And Minseok is scrambling to think of what his aunt used to tell him.

His aunt was like him- perhaps much more powerful in her sight, senses, and abilities. Normally if someone was being haunted, it meant that they had something on them that was being used as a point of harness, a supernatural anchor, so to speak.

But if Baekhyun and Jongdae didn’t take anything from the asylum with them, why were these spirits on them?

Because that left the other option which was remarkably much more frightening and worrying.

These were not normal ghosts/spirits, but were entities of hate and anger, best left undisturbed. By entering the asylum, Jongdae and Baekhyun disturbed the spirits there, causing them to latch on to the two vloggers in retaliation.

But Minseok now has to figure out how to get them off of the two idiots he truly cares about.

Malevolent spirits like these slowly weigh and tether their hosts down, bringing anger, fear, and animosity to taint their existence. 

‘-ave to pay them again,’ Baekhyun is saying as he brings a bunch of stacked plates with freshly cooked eggs, microwaved sausages, and rice on the table. ‘Hyung! I made some for you too!’

‘Thanks Baekhyun-ah,’ Minseok shakes himself out of his revere.

‘Don’t be too hard on yourself hyung- it’s okay if you can’t fix the issue. Especially if we’re gonna go back. Might as well get new clips and throw them all in together as a massive episode,’ Jongdae says thoughtfully through a mouthful of sausage and rice. ‘We could use this as our Halloween episode?’

Baekhyun nods vigourously as he swallows hard, ‘Yes! I was thinking that too!’

‘I’ll go with you,’ Minseok finds himself saying.

Both Baekhyun and Jongdae stare at him like he’s the one with gnarled supernatural hands clamped down on his shoulders.

‘Oh my god hyung-‘ Baekhyun exclaims, ‘You’re a believer too!’

‘He’s coming so that I don’t have to rescue your fallen ass because you don’t believe in wood rot,’ Jongdae scoffs before he’s grinning at Minseok too, ‘Hyung! This will be great, what changed your mind?’

The hands on Jongdae’s shoulders shift, moving closer to his neck.

‘I thought maybe I should take you guys up your offer after all.’

And a week later, here he was, in a dark and smelly abandoned asylum that is spectacularly haunted, staring straight into very truly terrifying eyes.

Sure some places _looked _haunted- age, wear, and weathering normally did that with any establishment. But this place was 100%, without a doubt, creepy. Even Jongdae, the skeptic, can appreciate how uninviting and terrible it looked.

When Minseok was younger and he approached particularly haunted areas, he would feel physically sick. One time he even developed a fever, and has since been careful in approaching places he knows are haunted.

It’s terrible inside. Minseok doesn’t even need to squint or look around to observe movement here and there. Or of glowing orb like eyes, hands moving about, feet disappearing from the edge of his vision.

But it’s not these regular spirits that was causing Minseok to heavily sweat inside his jacket.

After placing the static cameras in the attic and catching sight of some very lanky flesh-coloured figures in the far dark corners of the attic, and coming down to the 2nd floor hallway, Minseok realizes that the spirits that had attached themselves to Jongdae and Baekhyun weren’t doing it out of spite or hatred, but were merely trying to escape the truly very demonic force trapping these spirits in the asylum.

It’s a very large, shadowy hulking thing, inky and almost sticky looking, but at the same time rather transparent and somehow not all there. Not too powerful. But it’s incredibly angry, and incredibly hateful.

Luckily, to an extent, Minseok is prepared.

His pocket feels heavy with the cleansing charm his aunt painstakingly taught him to create over terribly shaky and blurry video-calls. He had already placed protective charms over Jongdae and Baekhyun a few days ago, without their knowledge of course.

Minseok had taken the small illustration, duplicated it over on Illustrator, made it into a vector just to be safe, and mass printed the little pattern onto transparent sticker paper.

He had then stuck them onto Jongdae’s jacket inner-lining, Baekhyun’s shirt tag, and nearly all of their equipment. Even if it fell off, they were protected and cleansed for the time being. Minseok makes it a habit to carry these stickers everywhere.

His aunt wanted to make a strong charm, just to be safe. And it seemed that his aunt’s precaution was definitely a good step to take because Minseok’s not sure if any other method (at least one this discreet) would help.

The little protective sticker was working well, but it wouldn’t last too long in a place steeped with so much negativity and memories of pain, cruelty, and sorrow.

Minseok is internally grateful at Baekhyun’s genuine cheerful and happy temperament, and Jongdae’s steadfastness and rationale.

‘If there’s anything in here that would like to speak to us, I’m going to switch on a little device that will, uh, help you speak to us,’ Baekhyun says, holding up the “spirit-box”.

It’s obviously a hoax. Not that Baekhyun knows that.

But things like the spirit-box, flashlights, and other random devices weren’t really definitive indicators of supernatural activity. In fact, the spirit-box is pretty good at putting most spirits off.

Also, as their now sound-editor and sound-fixer, Minseok suffers the effects of the spirit-box even more.

Baekhyun switches on the device and almost immediately, the looming presence hisses, gaping maw of a mouth widening briefly before fleeing the space.

‘-it just said _we’re here_!’ Baekhyun gasps at Jongdae who is grimacing at the loud sound.

It most certainly did not say _we’re here_ for the context Baekhyun thinks it’s in.

‘My name is Baekhyun, this is Jongdae,’ Baekhyun says over the static, eyes shifting nervously around as he looks up and down the hallway.

Minseok spies forms darting about the end of the hallway.

‘Please say our names back to us if you want to communicate to us!’

‘If you want us to get out of here, you can say that too!’ Jongdae chimes in, ‘In fact you could literally kick us out, right now! Kick Baek’s butt!’

Baekhyun laughs nervously, fidgeting where he stood as he nervously eyes the hallways.

It’s only when they’ve finally finished most of the shoot that Minseok finds the opportunity to leave the charm.

Baekhyun and Jongdae are taking down the cameras they set up in the hallway downstairs and Minseok volunteers to get the static camera in the attic.

‘Be careful hyung,’ Jongdae says, ‘The floors were really creaky.’

‘I will be,’ Minseok promises, handing Baekhyun his equipment to pack up.

‘Oh! Take this!’ Baekhyun thrusts his Go-Pro at Minseok. ‘Maybe you’ll catch something?’

Minseok laughs, subtly placing another sticker on Baekhyun’s jacket as he pats him on the back.

He carefully makes his way up, mindful of old wooden floors and stairs.

There’s a lot of them here.

It’s a little nerve-wracking, in all honesty, and Minseok would very much prefer leaving as quick as possible. But he doesn’t like that these spirits were lingering here, trapped and latching onto innocent idiots like Baekhyun and Jongdae as a means of escape.

Minseok gets to the attic, which like Baekhyun had suspected, was stuffed with “activity”. He switches off the camera and turns to address the shifting darkness.

‘Listen,’ Minseok says quietly, ‘You guys shouldn’t be doing this. I’m leaving soon, and I’ll make it so you can too. Be free, got it?’

He’s not good with words like this, but Minseok’s aunt had said that purposeful speech, intention, and command was important in situations like this. He retrieves the charm from his pocket; an ingenious invention by his aunt who thought it best to create the delicate pattern onto a stamping pad and simply stamp away when needed. Minseok pries open the ink-pad and after making sure the ink was evenly distributed along the rubber of his stamp, firmly slaps it against the dirty wall.

The noise quiets at once- one that Minseok hadn’t even noticed before, but now in its absence, was clearer than ever.

He grabs the static camera and hefts the tripod over his shoulder, turning around only to come face-to-face with the terribly shadowy entity.

‘No!’ Minseok says firmly, standing his ground. ‘Move, I’m leaving.’

The entity shrinks in on itself, hissing at him.

‘You should move on too.’ Minseok says as he walks off towards the stairs. ‘Don’t even think of coming at me or the others.’

He stamps the little charm all the way downstairs, not looking back because he knows he’ll see it behind him again. And Minseok is not about that lifestyle.

Jongdae and Baekhyun are waiting for him by the entryway, the sky still dark.

‘It’s almost 3,’ Baekhyun says nervously, glancing around, ‘Uh-‘

‘Isn’t that the witching hour?’ Jongdae asks with a yawn.

There was no such thing as a “witching hour”.

‘Okay, lets go,’ Minseok says as soon as he’s close enough.

‘Oh- wow, hyung, was it really dusty?’ Baekhyun asks in alarm, reaching out to brush a shocking amount of white-dust off of Minseok.

‘Or dandruff,’ Jongdae grins though he helps Baekhyun brush off the “dust” as well.

‘Or it could be ghostly skin-cells,’ Minseok teases.

They both laugh, the sound ringing through the hallway, free and joyous.

Minseok hears it echoed back to them.

He places the stamp once more on the door as he closes it shut behind him, taking the lock and closing it back up.

A few hands reach out through the doorway.

‘It’s okay, you can leave,’ Minseok says in a quiet voice, shaking the lock to make sure its secure. ‘You’re free.’

He doesn’t turn around to watch, or say anything more. Instead he ducks away from Baekhyun and Jongdae’s ending vlog commentary with a small smile.

‘And! That’s Minseok-hyung, you guys know him!’ Jongdae grins.

‘Did you enjoy your first ghost-operation hyung?’ Baekhyun turns the camera at him.

Minseok grins, looking down at his equipment awkwardly, attempting to look busy.

‘Sure. It was great.’

‘Do you believe in ghosts? I think our subscribers would like to know where you stand,’ Jongdae adds as they make their way to their car. In the morning, the city council will send a few people to check over the property and make sure they didn’t mess anything up, and it was all locked up properly. They’ll also unconsciously realize that the abandoned asylum no longer felt oppressively heavy or dark.

‘I guess you could say I’m a bit of both,’ Minseok says with a small smile, ‘I’m open-minded, and while a lot can be explained by logic, some things are definitely out of this world.’

*

Any_for_us: _this is their best episode yet. Perfect timing for spoopy month. Also Baekhyun is looking fluffier and fluffier how is that possible #soondongie_

Mareete: _I am both Jongdae and Baekhyun in this episode. Does that make me Minseok _

Unclsfd_pie: _I think there was a shadow at the end of the hallway?!?!? Am I seeing things?? @Unsolved_Vlogs, can you please check! #erikyoong_

spotlight_mon: _fuck, I think ^^^ was on to soething, I totally saw a shadow at the end there too????? #amibecominganerikyoong _

GrimArtandStuff: _ive heard about this place before! Thank you unsolvedvlogs for covering the background story!!_

50shadesofSpiritBox: _Baekhyun definitely was not wrong- I heard it too. The voice said ‘we’re here’- I’m sure of it. And your new cameraman! He’s so cute! Ths makes me feel btr????? Knowing its not just the 2 (two) of them in this? Three is a good number, holy number. Love the episode!!_

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _hyungs getting smaller and smaller. cute. _

Alexander 1987: _Oh my god! I just got the best news of my life!!! If you want to receive good news today for your job application, sign up for this new online resume builder for free! Link below!!_

kmsrems: _I had chills throughout ths ep. This was sooooo good. I love how Jongdae just stood in that room yawning. Wish I was that chill. #erikyoong_

*


	2. Unsolved: Autopsy [Halloween Special: The Asylum Poltergeist]

‘Hey guys and welcome to Unsolved Vlogs Autopsy for last weeks Halloween Special episode _“The Asylum Poltergeist_”! We’re here to answer all of your questions and inquiries about what happened-‘

‘-what Baekhyun thought happened-‘

‘-and other stuff. Oh come on- this episode was legit. Even you have to agree that it was weird.’

‘What it was - was that it was a very old, crumbly, incredibly dirty-‘

‘-it really was dirty-‘

‘-and sad _sad _place. I don’t think it was haunted, but just because of the history, the location, the hygiene, and the absolute stench of the place, I wouldn’t stay there overnight.’

‘Because it’s haunted and creepy and ghosts would get you?’

‘Because I don’t want to shower in acid or something- even Minseok-hyung was covered in dust by the time we were done-

You guys probably didn’t see- I think we didn’t add it to the main cut, but when Minseok hyung came back from the attic, he was covered in dust!’

‘It was pretty bad.’

‘Okay- but all of that, _and _ghosts. Y’all saw it- Erikyoongs, you know the truth.’

_(Audible sighing)_

‘What was your favorite thing about the Asylum?’

_(Long pause)_

‘I guess when we discovered the long-ass hallway- like legit, that was undoubtedly an architectural flaw- in case of an emergency, everyone will just clamor and crash into one tiny narrow long-ass hallway.

Didn’t they push gurneys and wheelchairs down this place? The claustrophobia in that place is real.’

_(audible and enthusiastic nodding)_

‘Also the attic! Even though for obvious clear safety reasons we were not allowed to go up there - Baekhyun wanted to really go for the whole immersion.

Which clearly meant immersing himself in wood-rot and falling through the floors-‘

‘-guys I’m just saying this right now- we didn’t go _inside _the attic- we placed a camera by the doorway-‘

‘-and you could’ve _died-‘_

_‘_-of course we pay attention to safety and we do listen to safety warnings issued before we enter any place-‘

‘-you say that and play that fucking spirit-box-‘

‘-I thought you didn’t think it was real?’

‘-I don’t- but you do, so I’m wondering, if you’re inviting ghosts through this thingy is counter-intuitive to the whole “don’t disturb spirits” thing-‘

‘-we’re _investigating_.’

_(table slapping sounds)_

‘Don’t detectives visit crime scenes and interrogate suspects to solve crime and mystery? We’re doing the same and the spirit-box is like a supernatural lie-detector test.’

_(Ehehehehehehehheehee)_

_(Guffawing)_

‘Right! Comments!

_(Giggling)_

‘You okay? Need a moment?’

‘No- I’m fine-‘

‘You’re not lying are you? Should we get the spirit-box and-‘

_(More laughing – smacking head on table)_

_(short break is taken)_

‘Okay so from the YouTube comment section we have “Purrrrrr nyeow”-‘

‘Purr now?’

‘_Purrrrrr nyeow_.’

‘Sure.’

‘Mr. Nyeow, or Ms. Nyeow, or just Nyeow, says “_I wanna know if you caught anything in the static camera footage from the attic”_.’

‘Wow. That was a very to-the-point question.’

‘And to that, here is my to-the-point answer: yes and no.’

‘That’s hardly to-the-point.’

‘So while there wasn’t anything very conclusive in the static cameras. And most of them could definitely just be dust motes, we did happen to encounter a few glitches.’

‘But we think it’s most likely technical glitches.’

‘By we, we mean Minseok-hyung.’

‘So according to Minseok-hyung, it’s technical issues.’

‘Or you know- ghosts.’

‘Said the person who was screaming throughout their individual sit-in.’

‘Can we edit that out-‘

‘-it’s already in the episode it’s why we’re doing an Autopsy video now-‘

‘Minseok-hyung, could we do a part where we replace all my screams with me saying something cool?’

‘Like what?’

‘…’

‘…’

‘I’ll think of something later.’

_(snorting)_

‘Okay next question- it’s from twitter-‘

‘Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet-‘

‘Please never do that again-‘

‘I’ll do what I want.’

‘Can I read the comment.’

‘…’

‘Okay thank you. This is from twitter user _Baeks Floof _starry emoji starry emoji and some other smiling emoji thing-‘

‘It’s the wide-grin emoji Jongdae please-‘

‘-who says! “_Loved this episode so much- wanna know a little more about Minseok and maybe your crew (?) that we may not know about?”_

And that’s a great question!’

‘As you all know…

We were very broke and did things all by our lonesome selves.’

‘Yes that too. So as you all know, sometimes we have our friend Chanyeol come with us, when we do need to go out far-‘

‘-or we just lack the physical strength I have no problem admitting this.’

‘-and now though we have been very blessed by you, the viewers, and our wonderful sponsors-‘

‘-we’ve been able to add one more person to our team!’

‘-we did ask him before. But I guess hyung was just waiting for the perfect timing because he’s cool like that.’

‘Minseok-hyung is our senior from uni. And we used to go to him for tech advice and stuff like that-‘

‘But he decided one day, to just be a part of the Unsolved Vlogs duo and we are now a happy trio.’

‘…’

‘…’

‘I won’t make that joke because we’re trying to be PG-‘

‘-that’s very mature of you Baekhyun-ah-‘

‘Okay! But yes, Minseok-hyung is now part of the team- please expect to see more of his cute self from time to time!’

‘Ehehehehe- he’s blushing.’

‘Next comment! This one is also from twitter from “_AZC”_ who asks ‘_How do you decide each episode location? Have you considered going overseas? Because you’re more than welcome to come visit my friends pretty haunted condo’_.

So I think first of all-‘

‘-don’t invite people to your friends house-‘

‘-I hope you had permission-‘

‘-and start with “pretty haunted”-‘

‘-that’s a great way of putting people off though-‘

‘Quick! Introverts put people off by saying your place is haunted!

I should say that more often.

…

Oh- hey Baek.’

‘…what?’

‘My place is haunted.’

‘We literally live together.’

‘Ah- damn.’

‘Okay so during the first episode, we went to local locations around the city. Which is actually quite a lot-‘

‘-also just mainly abandoned houses more than anything-‘

‘-also my childhood home at my hometown. And other places in our own hometowns. But I guess now that we’re better equipped?’

‘And with more funds.’

‘We’re doing legit research- things that definitely fall under urban myths as well. Which is how we came to find the Asylum as well.’

‘We also actually get quite a lot of emails from viewers and non-viewers. In fact, one our close friends Jongin told us about a place he used to live in when he was in middle-school. That was a fun episode gotta admit.’

‘It’s because Jongin was screaming the whole time.’

_(cackling)_

‘And so for this season, we’re pretty set on our locations! In fact, the upcoming episode is gonna be similar to the one we had with Jongin!’

‘Yes- it’s a house-visit!’

‘Well- is it a house-visit if no one’s living in it?’

‘Any place can be a house, but it can’t be a home.’

‘That was pretty deep. Even Minseok hyung is nodding.’

‘I think you guys will really like it. We’ll be going tomorrow night in fact. I’m just excited there’s a really good bakery in that area and I really wanna show Minseok-hyung.’

‘Bread aside, without spoiling much about other episodes we’re also visiting a botanical garden, odd I know, but during our research we found out that there used to be a big apartment complex in the area but it was razed down to make way for a nicer suburban area. And one of the reasons why it was razed was because of-‘

‘-murder.’

‘Yes. So while we are doing a supernatural investigation, we’ll also be looking into some real-life crime cases! I’m so grateful one of us is a journalism minor.’

‘You could just thank me.’

‘I will when you admit ghosts are real.’

_(Audible sigh)_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my updates for this fic will always be in two parts! the autopsy chapters and the episode chapters!!


	3. Unsolved Vlogs Season 2 Episode 1: The House Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part 2 of a double update!!!

‘This looks like a nice house.’

Jongdae stands in front of the gate, locking them out of the driveway that lead up to a very nice looking bungalow. A nice and clearly empty and unoccupied for many years bungalow.

Sure maybe in some way it looked nice. The gardens were still maintained, the paint on the house not aged or dirty, the windows though locked up and shut were clear of the climbers that covered one side of the house. It was in many ways, a very nice family house.

Except maybe for the very ominous presence Minseok can very clearly detect from this distance.

They had arrived in the afternoon, setting up their camera, equipment, mics, and in some people’s case, mentally prep themselves.

They only had to wait about 10 minutes before owner of said house arrives, beaming at them as he steps out of his very nice car.

Kim Junmyeon was a friend of a friend who became a great friend to both Baekhyun and Jongdae. While he was in a completely different faculty (International Business), he still remained good friends with the two, meeting up here and there to hang out and eat. Minseok also knows, through his many informants, that Junmyeon was actually one of Unsolved Vlogs’s first sponsor. And though he looked the epitome of normal, with no good reason to be connected at all to anything supernatural, Junmyeon was a man full of surprises.

‘Okay so basically we’ll be asking a few questions, and you’ll give us a tour of the place,’ Jongdae explains though they had already discussed all of this before hand.

‘Hyung, you mentioned the electric circuits in the basement and garage were out?’ Baekhyun adds.

‘Yeah- it was a recent development. The groundskeeper just told me yesterday, you might wanna store your equipment in the entryway instead even if that might get in your way.’ Junmyeon replies while Minseok attaches a mic onto his jacket lapel.

‘We’ll be fine I think?’ Jongdae turns to inquire him with a look.

‘We should be fine,’ Minseok confirms with a nod.

‘It’s cool to see you again hyung,’ Junmyeon smiles as Minseok checks to see if his audio was picking up.

‘You too Junmyeon-ah,’ Minseok replies warmly before adding, ‘Could you move around- need to see if your clothes might hit the mic.’

Junmyeon flails a little, and other than the expected and standard muffled sounds, his mic test is cleared.

‘Didn’t think you’d be someone who would mention haunted houses, let along own one,’ Minseok teases.

‘It’s not _my _house,’ Junmyeon sighs comically.

Junmyeon came from a rich family, and while initially Baekhyun and Jongdae had been careful about it, not knowing Junmyeon’s honestly dorky and down-to-earth personality, they grew to respect and truly care for him as a friend.

After everyone clears their sound and mic test, they enter the grounds of the bungalow and Minseok is already regretting everything.

Sure it was ominous from the distance, but as they get closer, there’s a noticeable dip in temperature. Of course Baekhyun is quick to point this out.

‘It got chilly,’ he grins nervously from the front.

‘It’s November,’ Jongdae deadpans next to him.

Junmyeon just chuckles.

‘Shall we start from here?’ Baekhyun asks, standing in front of the nice and simple doorway.

Minseok makes sure that the focus on the camera is on auto, scans the audio once more, and gives Baekhyun and Jongdae a thumbs up.

‘Okay! Welcome everyone to Season 1 Episode 1!’ Baekhyun throws his hands up with a little cheer. ‘After the special Halloween episode, we’re back with a whole new season of spooky investigations!’

‘And as it’s the first episode, we thought we’d make it even more special.’ Jongdae adds, ‘We’re doing a house-visit!’

‘Okay but to clear things up- no one actually lives in this house at the moment,’ Baekhyun adds, ‘But before you guys accuse us of baiting you with the title, the house _is _up for sale, and the house actively employs a groundskeeper who stays here.’

‘In a separate place,’ Jongdae clarifies. ‘Within the grounds.’

‘And as it is special we will be- what are we doing Jongdae?’ Baekhyun turns to address Jongdae who stares blankly at the camera and states, ‘We’re going to be sleeping over the night.’

Baekhyun lets out a whoop.

‘Okay but to better understand and explain the history of this place, we’re bringing in our guest and someone who used to live here as a kid!’ Baekhyun does a grand gesture and Minseok redirects the camera to pan over to Junmyeon who chuckles awkwardly and waves.

‘Hyung! Come stand here with us!’ Baekhyun waves in a beckoning fashion.

Junmyeon walks over, bowing again to the camera.

‘Uh right- so my name is Kim Junmyeon and this was my childhood home until I was about, 7 years old?’ he introduces himself.

‘Cool! So- I think I can mention this to the viewers but when you messaged me like, 3 weeks ago, you told me that you _thought _this house was haunted as a kid, and later dismissed it. But then?’ Baekhyun starts them up.

‘Well- as a kid, I was an only child for a while, until my younger brother was born. So I used to play a lot by myself most time,’ Junmyeon begins. ‘My parents actually told me this only a few years ago, but apparently I used to talk a lot.’

‘Imaginary friends?’ Jongdae inquires.

‘Yeah- that’s what my parents thought.’ Junmyeon nods. ‘My parents were quite busy before my younger brother was born, and they used to have baby-sitters come stay when they were out. And almost all of my baby-sitters only ever lasted 2 to 3 sessions. We could never find anyone that would permanently stay.’

‘So you’re saying you were a troublemaker as a child?’ Jongdae teases.

Junmyeon laughs out loud, throwing his head back while Baekhyun smacks Jongdae on his arm.

‘I don’t know if I was a troublemaker- my parents don’t really have any stories about me being difficult to raise. Baby-sitters didn’t have complaints about me either.’ Junmyeon says with a shrug, ‘But they all left because they felt like they were being watched. At least that’s what my parents told me a few years ago.’

‘So the baby-sitters told your parents that?’ Jongdae looks doubtful.

‘Not all of them,’ Junmyeon clarifies. ‘Most just left. But after like, the 8th baby-sitter left, my mum took one of them aside to ask they were leaving. The baby-sitter at the time had been a friend of the then gardener’s wife. She told my mum that she felt like she was being watched.’

Baekhyun visibly shudders at that, eyeing the house behind them suspiciously.

‘Okay, did anyone else mention it?’ Jongdae asks skeptically.

‘Yeah. My mum asked a few others as well. And the ones she asked all said they just weren’t comfortable being inside the house.’ Junmyeon replies with a thoughtful expression, as though he himself was doubtful of the words.

‘And what about you? You said you only “thought” it was haunted as a kid. I mean, the house is big, it’s got a lot of windows, shadows and things, and I had an active imagination. Later after we moved out and I started being more exposed to ghosts and supernatural stuff on the media, I always thought it was quite fitting if the house was haunted,’ Junmyeon laughs. ‘We leased the house after we moved, and it became like a track record, most people stayed a maximum of 3 months. At first we all though it was just maybe not their taste- or sometimes after a while, some houses aren’t just a fit for your family, things like that.’

Jongdae and Baekhyun both nod though Minseok knows they can’t relate to that.

‘I was a teenager at the time, and one of the people who stayed at the house had a daughter my age. I can fairly admit I had a crush on her,’ he chuckles awkwardly, ‘and when they said they would be moving out, and my dad went to talk to them, I volunteered to go with him.’

‘Ayeeee,’ Baekhyun grins, elbowing Junmyeon, his eyebrows wiggling at an alarming rate.

‘Anyways, so we spoke a little, and she asked me how I could have grown up in the house considering how haunted it was,’ Junmyeon laughs lightly, ‘And I was confused, I said it’s not haunted. And she insisted it was. That was the first time someone actually verbally told me the place was haunted.’

‘How long has it been that you’ve had tenants?’ Jongdae asks, glancing back at the house, ‘Because I’ll be honest, this is a really nice house.’

‘It’s been over 5 years now. It’s got a bit of reputation in the neighbourhood as well,’ Junmyeon says with a hint of regret. ‘So most people will come and look, and after asking some questions, will stay away. It’s a great house, but not enough to risk rumors and stories I guess.’

‘And you also said that the most conclusive story you heard was from your old gardener?’ Baekhyun presses.

‘Ah yeah,’ Junmyeon nods. ‘Obviously after hearing what the girl-‘

‘-your crush-‘

‘-yes-‘ Junmyeon laughs. ‘I thought I’d ask our old gardener. So I found out where he lived and went to ask him.’

‘Bet that was a surprise visit.’

‘It was!’ Junmyeon nods, ‘But he was very nice about it.’

‘So what did he tell you?’ Baekhyun asks eagerly.

‘He told me that when he first started working, he didn’t notice anything out of the usual,’ Junmyeon recalls, ‘His wife used to be our cook, and she didn’t notice anything either for the first few months. He said that the first time he realized something was definitely wrong was when he was working in the garden near the kitchen window, he looked in to wave at his wife. She wasn’t there, but there was a man inside the kitchen instead.’

Baekhyun instantly pales.

‘He couldn’t really see his face too clearly, because it was bright out. But he was definitely sure that there was someone inside the kitchen,’ Junmyeon continues with the story, not at all noticing Baekhyun’s visible distraught. ‘He thought maybe my father had come in early from work but he realized his car hadn’t pulled in. He was going to dismiss it but then at the same time his wife came out from the backdoor. He asked her who the man inside the kitchen was. She said that there was no guest or visitors in the house. So at first they thought it might have been a thief. He called the police while his wife called my parents.’

Baekhyun nods vigourously, getting deeper into the story.

‘The police came and did a complete check of the place, and there was no sign of an intruder,’ Junmyeon narrates, ‘He was very apologetic but my parents weren’t upset and instead I guess pleased that he would go to such lengths to want to secure the situation.’

Jongdae nods to that.

‘And after that he was much more alert. My dad then put those up around the walls,’ Junmyeon points to the cameras as well as the spikes on the walls.

‘Woah,’ Baekhyun breathes out.

‘He told me about what his wife experienced,’ Junmyeon continues, ‘She worked inside the house mostly during the daytime, preparing food for me after school, and for dinner for the family. Sometimes she thought that maybe one of my parents was home, because she could hear someone walking around upstairs. She even thought she saw my mother in the hallway one time.’

‘Full body apparition,’ Baekhyun exclaims excitedly, visibly sweating in this November weather.

‘But I guess the one that really made me believe this place is haunted is what they _both _saw,’ Junmyeon’s tone is casual, as though he wasn’t retelling them what was definitely a very haunted childhood. ‘So up there is what used to be my room.’

He points up towards the top of the 2 story house to the right. It was covered in climbers and the small balcony jutting out from the side of the house connected to the room. Baekhyun stiffly gestures to them to start walking towards the balcony until they stand a little below it.

‘This was during the weekend, and it was late summer according to him. I used to love playing with bubbles, and I would often stay at the balcony just violently making bubbles to make it fall,’ Junmyeon waves upwards and Minseok pans up.

To his absolute disquiet, a dark shape peers down at them through the doorway leading to the balcony.

‘And so the gardener was just there near the garden shed,’ he points behind them at a small shed. ‘And his wife was sitting underneath the shade there. There used to be a swing there.’ He adds, pointing a little to the shed’s right. There’s a great tree at the corner of the garden and Minseok instantly does not like the way it looks. ‘So I called to the gardener, doing kid stuff I guess, when my balcony door opened behind me and both the gardener and his wife saw a man standing at the doorway.’

Baekhyun is definitely sweating. Jongdae just looks intrigued, as though listening to a good story.

‘At first the gardener thought it was my dad,’ Junmyeon squints a little as he peers up at the balcony instead, ‘because he told me I turned around and spoke to this man like I knew him.’

‘Wait- how old were you?’ Jongdae interjects.

‘Around 4,’ Junmyeon replies, ‘I don’t have any memory of this, though I do know I used to love staying at the balcony a lot. I have loads of pictures of myself in the balcony.’

‘Is that all?’ Baekhyun asks hopefully.

‘Uh,’ Junmyeon looks sheepish, ‘So the gardener walks closer to the balcony because he’s a little confused. Then his wife suddenly says “who’s that with Junmyeon?”.’

Baekhyun looks like he’s regretting every single second of the day and Minseok is with him 100%.

‘So they both approach the balcony and they try to stay calm. Maybe my parents had guests, is what they thought, and since that incident last time, they don’t want a false alarm or a repetition.’

Jongdae nods to that, ‘Won’t be good on the resume.’

Junmyeon laughs amiably, ‘No it wouldn’t. But anyways, they walked up to the balcony and called me. I looked down and they asked me who I was talking to.’

‘Oh fuck,’ Baekhyun whimpers.

‘I supposedly replied saying “oh it’s my friend Mr. Son”,’ Junmyeon grimaces. ‘Obviously the gardener and his wife were very disturbed. So his wife quickly went to the house and told my mother. She ran up with my mother and I was there in my room alone. My mum asked me about Mr. Son, and I supposedly started crying out of nowhere.’

‘Did your parents ever get an explanation out of you?’ Jongdae inquires.

‘Apparently after that day I didn’t want to stay in my room?’ Junmyeon replies thoughtfully, ‘It was just a month or so after my parents decided that we should leave, live closer to the city. I think after a while, my parents thought I was felt neglected and made things up. I guess maybe I did at that age? Because after that my parents both stayed at home more frequently and my dad started working out of the house instead until we moved out completely.’

‘Did he ever notice anything?’

‘I asked him a couple of years ago, but he didn’t mention anything.’

‘Asian dads be like that,’ Baekhyun rolls his eyes.

‘I asked my mum, and she said to me after a while that she never really liked this place,’ Junmyeon says with a slightly wistful tone. ‘And she did her best to ignore what the baby-sitters said. But she had been the one to move us out after what happened with the balcony and everything.’

‘Do you think maybe your mum knew what was happening but didn’t want to acknowledge it?’ Baekhyun asks carefully.

‘Yeah I think so,’ Junmyeon nods before adding, ‘Fun fact, my parents couldn’t get pregnant the entirety of the time they were here, but just some months after moving out, my brother was conceived.’

It’s very quiet after that until Jongdae says, ‘Well! I can’t wait to sleepover tonight. Junmyeon, you sure you don’t want to join us?’

Minseok has to fight the urge to shout NO but he doesn’t need to because Junmyeon just laughs and shakes his head, ‘I’m afraid I can’t. And I won’t.’

‘Damn,’ Jongdae grins in amusement, ‘Guess it’s just you and me Baek.’

‘And Minseok hyung,’ Baekhyun has a pleading look.

Technically Minseok wasn’t supposed to be with them during the night sleep-over. After setting up the cameras and sound, he would step out. But Minseok had said he would stay over as well.

‘We’re doing new things this season. Minseok-hyung is our camera and sound guy as well as bodyguard!’ Jongdae grins at the camera.

Minseok can’t help but grimace at the accuracy of Jongdae’s statement.

*

‘Okay! So guys we’re going to be stepping in to the house-‘

‘-while it’s still bright,’ Jongdae adds, ‘Just for the tour so we know which place is where.’

‘-and we know where we can use the bathroom as we are staying overnight,’ Baekhyun concludes, grinning at his GoPro and then at Minseok. Minseok grimaces back.

It was _terrible _stepping inside.

The weight of the house was oppressive and if Minseok were younger, he’d start feeling sick. For now there’s a gentle indicator of a headache building up at the back of his head. He pats himself on the back for packing pain killers.

‘Right so,’ Junmyeon stands at the entryway, ‘Uh, welcome to my crib?’

Jongdae laughs brightly and even Baekhyun seems to lighten up a little at that.

‘Right so the house is 2 floors- downstairs we have the kitchen, living room, dining, study, 2 bathrooms, and a guest room. Upstairs 2 bedrooms and a master bedroom,’ Junmyeon reels off as he steps deeper inside.

‘This is a really nice house,’ Jongdae whistles appreciatively, ‘Wow, look at that chandelier.’

And yes, Minseok agrees. This is a very nice house. It was wide, the ceiling high up, and the overall layout was quite open and luxurious.

‘Junmyeon-hyung, if I ever get rich, I’ll buy this place off of you.’ Jongdae offers as he sets down their heavier tripods.

Junmyeon just laughs in response.

‘It’s cold in here,’ Baekhyun shivers.

And it was definitely cold in here.

Not winter-cold. But something-is-wrong-here cold. A sort of icky dampness that stuck to Minseok’s throat and temples, amplifying his slowly increasing headache.

‘I asked the groundskeeper to check the electricity and water so you can use the sinks and toilets. And I know that you guys wanted to do this sleepover in an authentic way but it does get quite cold so he’ll bring you guys one of his extra heaters,’ Junmyeon explains as he stands by the stairwell landing.

The stairs curve upwards around the chandelier that hangs down.

Illuminated and clean, this area would have been very beautiful. But right now, even in broad daylight, Minseok can see the pair of feet just edging into view at the top of the stairwell.

He sighs quietly, adjusting his headphones over his head.

‘You okay hyung?’ Baekhyun asks as he puts down their bag of chargers and his own laptop bag. ‘You look tired.’

‘Just a small headache- I’ve got meds don’t worry,’ Minseok smiles.

‘Wow hyung! This is such a big kitchen!’ Jongdae calls from the other side.

‘Jongdae gives me anxiety,’ Baekhyun laughs while Minseok properly zooms to his face, ‘If we were in a horror movie, he’d be the first to go.’

Minseok has to sort of agree. Because when they go see him at the kitchen, Minseok walking in behind Baekhyun and Junmyeon, he catches sight of a shadowy figure slipping out from behind the large steel-door refrigerators and disappearing into the hallway leading to the dining room.

‘You have like, 10 stove top burners. Isn’t that too excessive with a house that has 3 bedrooms.’ Jongdae asks Junmyeon.

‘Said the person who uses up all the burners when you’re cooking the two of us dinner,’ Baekhyun snorts before turning to address the camera and whispering, ‘Jongdae uses all the burners and makes like, 2 dishes.’

‘I heard that!’ Jongdae yells back as he follows Junmyeon to the dining room.

‘Should we set up a camera here? Near the window?’ Baekhyun asks, pointing to the window that overlooked the garden outside. You can see the big tree in the corner of the garden from here.

It’s incredibly upsetting.

‘Yeah,’ Minseok nods.

Baekhyun takes out a violently coloured sticky notepad and places one over on the counter.

‘One at the entryway?’ Baekhyun asks, looking about appreciatively.

‘Yeah- and the stairs?’ Minseok adds.

‘Yeah! That’s a good idea!’ Baekhyun grins, shuffling away to mark the spots.

Minseok looks back out of the window at the big tree. He’s not sure how he’s going to ask without giving anything away.

‘Hyung- I’ve marked the dining room,’ Jongdae says as he walks back in with Junmyeon, ‘There’s also a good spot that can catch the living room from inside the dining room.’

‘Okay cool. How many extension cables will we need to set up the chargers?’ Minseok asks.

‘Not too many. Junmyeon-hyung, you said we could use the outlets right?’ Jongdae asks Junmyeon who looks out at the garden with a wistful look.

‘Yeah, again except for the garage and basement,’ Junmyeon reminds him.

Jongdae gives him a thumbs up and walks out to where Baekhyun was puttering about.

Minseok guesses now is a good time as ever.

‘That’s a really big tree,’ Minseok nods at it, ‘Do you know how old it is?’

‘I’m not sure,’ Junmyeon squints at it, ‘But I think it was here with the land.’

‘Out of curiosity, do the neighbouring houses have similar incidences that you know of?’ Minseok asks.

‘Not that I know of,’ Junmyeon replies, ‘I feel like there would be general knowledge of that sort of thing, right? The whole neighbourhood knows about this house.’

Minseok nods in understanding.

‘Hyung!’ Baekhyun calls from the hallway.

‘Which one?’ Minseok calls back.

‘Uh- both of you?’

Junmyeon and Minseok grin at each other.

*

They grab a quick lunch and a good dinner to eat back at the bungalow. And like Jongdae had pointed out, at least this was a clean place. Junmyeon had it cleaned up a little before their arrival. He had mentioned something about publicity for the house, and while both Jongdae and Baekhyun had found that angle weirdly funny, Minseok gets it.

There were a lot of people out there that wanted to buy haunted houses- people not unlike Baekhyun who were obsessed with the supernatural but without the fear aspect.

The bakery Jongdae wanted to take Minseok to was a family-run bakery and it was indeed, absolutely delicious. Jongdae looked very pleased with himself.

Heading back was riddled with dread.

Minseok tried not to let it show. He also swallowed a couple of pain killers and made sure to stay hydrated. He didn’t need to be distracted and careless and allow things he could control to play into what he was going to have to step into.

At the gateway the groundskeeper is there to greet them with an electric heater.

‘Thank you Mr. Lim,’ Baekhyun bows gratefully, taking the wheeled device from the older man.

‘I hear you’re trying to catch ghosts?’ Mr. Lim grins at them.

‘Trying,’ Jongdae chuckles.

‘You’ve stayed here for a while now, have you experienced anything?’ Baekhyun asks immediately.

‘Hmm- well, I just stay inside the guardroom when I do stay here,’ he replies thoughtfully, ‘Can’t say I’ve witnessed anything.’

‘Thank you,’ Baekhyun bows again, looking somewhat relieved.

‘If you kids need anything, I’ll be in the guardhouse till 10. Leave the gate-keys with the security check-point,’ he adds before heading back to the guardhouse.

They all bow him out before facing the bungalow again.

‘Well,’ Baekhyun smiles nervously, ‘Let’s go.’

*

As Minseok suspected, the darker it got, the worse it became.

And from what he can tell, unlike the Asylum, where there were multiple spirits and ghosts with a majorly dark nearly demonic entity, this house was literally occupied by a genuine demon.

And while people’s definitions of demon varied, or their understanding of it changed and shifted according to culture, religion, or even media consumption; for Minseok, demons have always been terribly dark, terribly angry, and incredibly destructive.

Minseok doesn’t want to assume or project, but Junmyeon’s lonely childhood had a lot to be thought about. Not to mention how his parents couldn’t conceive for the duration that they stayed in this house. Demons went to the root of places, of people, of trust, and corrupted it.

And Minseok is itching to get out because he knows he’s not strong enough to remotely overpower or overcome this thing in the house.

No amulet or stamp would be able to release or suppress this thing.

Minseok would definitely have to call his aunt about this place and somehow warn Junmyeon about never returning back here.

The whole story of his possible interaction with this demon as Mr. Son was deeply troubling.

At least Minseok can’t sense any form of attachment.

Now _that _would be very _very _bad.

For now Minseok pretends not to see it, not to know it- something his aunt told him to do when it came to very dark entities and spirits.

Minseok needed to be alert and aware.

‘Fuck it’s cold,’ Jongdae comments wryly as they make their way up.

‘It’s colder upstairs,’ Baekhyun remarks as they climb up the stairs.

Minseok spies a pair of feet turning and walking out of the landing atop of the stairs.

‘Well, this is where we’ll be sleeping for the night,’ Jongdae chuckles before adding, ‘It was cool during daytime but I can appreciate the weird way the chandelier reflects light right now.’

Their flashlights spark up the chandelier, casting a multitude of sharp and blurred lights around the hallway upstairs. It’s definitely overwhelming.

‘Okay so as it’s winter, we decided that we can’t split up our sleeping rooms,’ Baekhyun explains to Minseok’s camera. ‘So we’ll be spending the night at Junmyeon’s childhood bedroom, and hopefully this heater will be enough to warm us up.’

‘Or we can all sandwich into a massive cuddle pile,’ Jongdae offers brightly.

‘You’re a kicker. Minseok-hyung, feel free to kick Jongdae away if you feel him trying to cuddle up.’ Baekhyun retorts.

Minseok just chuckles in response.

‘Okay we’re back in here again- but we were here previously just to set up our sleeping bags and mats and check the bathroom,’ Baekhyun says as they enter Junmyeon’s childhood bedroom.

Some of the furniture is still in there. The built in closet is opened (as requested by Baekhyun), the big chest of drawers firmly shut (as checked by Baekhyun), and the poster bed stripped of any mattress or sheets (as confirmed by Baekhyun).

‘And this is the balcony where according to Junmyeon, the gardener and his wife saw the figure of a man- well, of _something_ standing here,’ Baekhyun says as he nervously approaches the balcony doorway. Jongdae steps up and opens the door.

‘Ah fuck it’s cold okay-‘ Jongdae shudders before stepping out. ‘Ah- it’s a nice view if you’re not freezing.’

Minseok stays inside, capturing their footage through the doorway in a nice frame. The streetlights add a flare to the lens.

He hears breathing next to his ear and Minseok ignores it.

‘We have a camera out in the garden pointing up at the balcony,’ Baekhyun explains, his voice slightly pitched with nerves. ‘So we have a lot of angles covered.’

The breathing abruptly stops and Minseok can almost relax when he sees movement from the corner of his eye. The dark figure walks around the room, almost rounding Minseok like a predator would its prey.

And Minseok _knows _whatever it was knew Minseok could sense it.

‘Okay I think that’s enough for the tour,’ Baekhyun says as he enters again and Jongdae follows, closing the door firmly behind them with a small shiver. ‘I think we should do the solitude thing before we eat dinner. Let’s get all of this done and over with and then I just wanna hole up in here for the rest of the night, I have no shame in admitting that.’

Jongdae laughs but agrees, ‘It’s definitely too cold anyways.’

‘Who wants to go first?’ Baekhyun asks.

Jongdae easily volunteers.

Now Minseok is definitely nervous.

Demons were extremely volatile and unpredictable. Sometimes they did _nothing _no matter how they were provoked. Other times they just unnecessarily lost all control, leading most people to think they had “poltergeist” activity.

‘Okay, let’s all head down then,’ Minseok calls them, lowering the camera from his shoulder, rolling them a little. ‘What do you guys want to take?’

‘I’ll be taking the spirit-box,’ Baekhyun says at once, with fear all over his face.

‘I uhh- those rigged flashlights?’ Jongdae shrugs as they walk out of the room.

‘They’re not rigged-‘ Baekhyun starts to complain.

It’s quite human-shaped, Minseok notices, studying it clearly now that it knew. No deformity, no gross misshapen quality like the truly terrible entities sometimes possessed. It was quite normal and human-shaped.

Great, now this was more confusing than ever.

At the entryway Jongdae gets ready with his full set up. They move his mic to the edge of his hoodie instead as he bundles up with all his gear. He holds the “rigged” flashlights and with a wave, walks inside, closing the door behind him.

‘Fuck,’ Baekhyun exhales as he shivers a little. ‘I hate this part, fuck that’s going to be me inside in like 2 minutes. Fuck I didn’t think this through.’

Minseok had already placed the same shields he did last time on them again today. He’s not sure how helpful they’ll be for today, but it was better than nothing.

‘Do you think he’s in there, chatting up the demons and trying to get them to possess him?’ Baekhyun asks rapidly, his nervousness making his tone high-pitched. ‘Fuck- why don’t I ever go before him?’

Minseok tries his best to channel calm and chill, as Sehun once said he naturally did. But Baekhyun is very effected and there’s no way of calming him down.

They can’t hear anything and Minseok anxiously waits for Jongdae’s minute to be done.

When Jongdae does appear, he looks completely fine, if not a little cold.

‘You’re really gonna enjoy yourself,’ Jongdae grins as he takes off his headlamp. Minseok doesn’t see the thing through the hallway or anywhere through the windows. ‘Shook it up for you.’

Baekhyun can’t even give him a snarky reply in response, just shaking himself up, trying to hype himself up.

Chanting “fuck” under his breath like a prayer, Baekhyun walks into the house and then promptly walks out.

‘Fuck! It gets so quiet once the door closes!’ Baekhyun squeaks at the doorway.

Still, there’s nothing Minseok can see.

‘You can do it, don’t you wanna see if this is real?’ Jongdae encourages enthusiastically. ‘Don’t you want to shove it in my face and show me that ghosts are real?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then what are you waiting for? Go get some evidence!’

Oddly enough this does the trick and Baekhyun walks back in.

‘It’s just really cold and I don’t want to stay out here longer than necessary,’ he winks at the camera.

Baekhyun’s minute is up and he’s as pale as a sheet and sweating.

‘Dude.’

‘Oh my god-‘ Baekhyun stammers, ‘Spirit-box!’

There’s nothing behind him.

Minseok is a little puzzled and disturbed.

The next 2 hours or so of them eating their pre-packed dinner and drinking hot drinks courtesy of the electric kettle Junmyeon wisely brought for them, Minseok still can’t see the thing anywhere or really sense it.

Baekhyun takes a terribly lit selfie of the three of them in the kitchen and uploads it to their Twitter account. He also takes a short video of the three of them as they go through the house one more time to make sure all their equipment was working well before they head back to the bedroom.

Again, there’s nothing.

And maybe this was good. Minseok slides into his sleeping back, sleeping closest to the doorway because Baekhyun called for the middle spot and Jongdae woke up frequently at night to use the toilet. It takes a while for them to fall asleep, what with it being cold and Baekhyun being scared. But eventually, around 1 AM, they do manage to sleep.

Minseok is not surprised to wake up not too long after because he thinks someone’s calling his name.

Opening his eyes, Minseok takes a few seconds to realize that he’s lying his side, facing Baekhyun and Jongdae.

And very casually, standing just over the side of Jongdae’s sleeping form is the dark figure.

It’s looking straight at Minseok even though Minseok can’t make out its eyes. Minseok can’t look away, hands forming fists and his teeth gritting.

Then it walks away, quite normally, around the room, and to the balcony.

Minseok listens acutely, his ears strained for any sound.

He’s about to close his eyes and let it go when something brushes through his hair.

His whole body electrified, Minseok goes rigid.

It’s a hand, fingers carding through his hair.

It stops after a while and Minseok dares to turn around in his sleeping bag with some difficulty.

There’s nothing in the room. Sitting up, Minseok looks around again. He’s not sure what he’s going to do with the footage that’s being taken of them. So he decides to go to the toilet. Picking up his torchlight, Minseok goes to the bathroom, shivering a little.

Behind him Jongdae turns a little, making a sleepy sound.

Minseok comes out after making sure the sound of the flush was completely quieted down. He makes to go to his sleeping bag but that’s when he realizes the balcony door is open.

Minseok completely stills. He doesn’t take a step closer. Doesn’t move a muscle.

He’s not sure what to do-

‘-hyung?’

He jumps a little at the sleepy voice.

It’s Jongdae, sitting up.

‘What’s wrong-‘ Jongdae squints at the door.

Then he looks up at Minseok. Then back at the door.

‘I’m- I’m guessing you didn’t open that?’

Minseok shakes his head.

Baekhyun starts to stir. And Minseok sees the way Jongdae’s mind is whirling.

But before either of them can decide on anything, Baekhyun wakes up, and upon seeing them both in their odd positions, immediately sits up, eyes wild.

‘What’s wrong- oh fuck-!’ he gasps, gaping at the door.

‘Uh-‘

‘I went to the bathroom, came out, door was open.’ Minseok decides being honest was the best. Also, doors opening and closing isn’t a supernatural thing. Not with wooden doors in winter and old houses in general. Still, they all remember Jongdae very clearly closing the door behind them.

‘Uh- I think we should shut it-‘ Jongdae begins, sounding a little unsure.

Minseok finds himself moving and getting to the door and pulling it shut with a little more force than necessary and making sure its completely bolted.

‘Oh my god-‘ Baekhyun exclaims, rushing to the door but not really. ‘What the actual fucking shit-‘

‘Let’s not jump to conclusions-‘ Jongdae begins, sounding more like himself and standing up.

‘We need to check the footage!’ Baekhyun exclaims, rushing towards the camera they set up inside the room, angled from the closet to have a good view of the room.

Jongdae and Baekhyun take down the camera and Minseok takes this opportunity to look out of the windows.

The tree is somehow larger and darker than before- but not as dark and ominous as the dark figure standing right next to it.

Great, Minseok thinks to himself, that was most definitely a hanging-tree or impromptu burial site.

‘Oh-! It’s here, here-‘

Minseok looks away from the tree and back at Baekhyun and Jongdae.

‘Woah- it just opens by itself-‘ Baekhyun squeaks, both excited and nervous.

‘God, all of this because a door opened,’ Jongdae sighs, wiping tiredly at his face.

They put the camera back, and Baekhyun is too nervous and excited to sleep immediately though Jongdae is knocked out. At Baekhyun’s request they sleep closer together and honestly Minseok doesn’t mind.

He sleeps fitfully, thinking someone’s calling his name consistently.

It’s with relief morning comes and they can’t leave fast enough.

‘Well that was an extremely eventful Unsolved Vlog,’ Baekhyun grins at the camera, dark shadows under his eyes. ‘God I can’t wait to examine all the footage and put them together for this episode and talk to you guys about it!!’

‘Well- that was certainly entertaining,’ Jongdae chuckles in agreement. ‘I guess you could say Minseok-hyung is our good luck charm.’

‘Oh my god yes hyung!’ Baekhyun laughs, throwing Minseok’s camera heart-fingers. ‘You’re the best.’

Minseok quickly ushers them out under guise of being embarrassed.

The heavy gaze of the dark figure follows them out till the gateway.

Minseok doesn’t look back.

*

Indigo_Salad: _istg I nearly threw my whole laptop at the two shots of the balcony door opening WTF HOW CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT SOMEONE PLEASE EXLAIN THAT OT ME #IDONTCAREWHATTEAMIMINBURNTHATHOUSEDOWNNOW_

167 Is Average Height: _i think it has to do with air pressure. its winter, and they had the heater on inside, it causes the room air to expand and contract. it’s basic exothermic principles of heat_

DaeDroid: _well…the doorway footage and creepy echoes of footsteps throughout the night certainly sold the whole haunted house theory. That Junmyeon guy should never go back to his house and have the whole place razed or something that aint normal_

DarkGrimmReaper12: _exorcize the shit out of the house thx_

Silverink: _I TAKE IT BACK THIS IS THE BEST EPISODE EVER SJFASOLGFJNSLDFGJSDLKFJGLSDKGSD I’M STILL SHAKING OMG_

Baguette Au Pain: _I live in a rather old house and the doors in my house tend to open and close frequently during winter. I think it has something to do with the cold contracting wood or something. But this was such a good episode #soondongie_

Sehun_omayaaaaaa:_ why is everyone so short_

Mareete: _like my very wise grandmother once told me “don’t fuck with ghosts” Junmyeon and his family should not only exoricize that place they should drown it in holy water and turn it into a nice open parking space with a billion streetlights just to be safe_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *
> 
> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> So this is based off of 2 true events/stories.  
When I was a teen my family was house-hunting and we came across the house I’m describing. Like it was genuinely a really good house and everything but WOW he moment I stepped in I KNEW it was haunted. It was weirdly cold despite being summer (though winter here in this fic), and there was such a weird pressure in the air it hurt my head though no one else felt it. And I kept seeing this figure out of the corner of my eye, like lurking around the hallway and doorways I hated being in there so much. And the back garden had this terrible looking tree fuck I hated it so much. Thankfully my parents didn’t like the house  
The added story about junmyeon’s childhood home is based off of a family friend’s house he grew up in as a child, the story Junmyeon tells is almost a direct quote of his story. So I added the two together.  
Like I tweeted, this came out creepier than intended but I hope you enjoy it!!!!


	4. Unsolved: Autopsy [Halloween Special: The Asylum Poltergeist]

‘Can I just say before we start-‘

‘-you’re gonna say it anyways-‘

‘-that this is THE most- THE MOST-

‘-great here we go again-‘

‘-conclusive evidence we have ever found-‘

_(sighing)_

‘-excuse me you don’t get to sigh!

We all saw that door opening-‘

‘-on camera not in real life-‘

‘-and Minseok-hyung was so shocked he didn’t even move for a while-

Dude YOU were scared too-‘

‘I was personally concerned for Minseok-hyung-‘

_(strangled sounds)_

‘HEY- don’t tell me you weren’t just a little scared-‘

‘-I’ll admit it was surprising and unexpected but-‘

‘AHA SO YOU ADMIT IT!’

_(sounds of disapproval) _

‘Minseok-hyung! What did you think? What was going on in your mind?’

‘Uh- like I said before- I was honestly trying to remember if any of us had opened the door. I also thought I was imagining it because I hadn’t noticed it when I first got up.’

‘Your trip to the bathroom was relieving?’

‘Yes. Thank you.’

‘That’s besides the point! While I’m very happy that Minseok-hyung was able to relieve his bladder-‘

‘-we care for your bladder-‘

‘-you can’t explain that away with science-‘

‘In fact I can-‘

‘-oh great here we go-‘

‘-so I read a comment, which I will read now because I have to credit them for this explanation. It lead me to do my own research-‘

‘-wow, so journalism, many reporting-‘

‘-and this comes from our viewer from Twitter, 167 is Average Height-‘

‘-height complex?’

‘-167 is Average Height who says “_i think it has to do with air pressure. its winter, and they had the heater on inside, it causes the room air to expand and contract. it’s basic exothermic principles of heat”_-‘

‘…’

‘…so anyways I did some research and yes. First of all I think we should point out that when Minseok-hyung first got up, he went to the bathroom yes?’

‘…yeah.’

‘Then he closed the door behind him.’

‘…like all normal people.’

‘Exactly. The door had been open before right? So when hyung closed the door, in a room that was definitely warm, when outside was cold, the door that was the easiest to open- well, opens.’

‘…okay look. I get what you’re saying. I do know that with temperature changes, air pressure, etc and wood shrinks and expands. That’s why I don’t take creaking floors as a legitimate sign of hauntings in the first place.’

‘Exactly.’

‘However. I don’t really think that short moment of Minseok-hyung waking up and going to the bathroom and closing the door behind him could have made the door open just like that not after we locked it-‘

‘-I thought you would bring this up, so I spoke to Junmyeon about it, and the groundskeeper as well. The locking system as you remember was old. It was the upright bolt on top of the door frame. It could have easily slid down.’

_(sounds of protest)_

‘And like wood, metal also contracts and expands with heat and cold.’

‘This sounds like you’re just really trying to not admit that was an extremely conclusive supernatural evidence-‘

‘-I’m just laying out scientific facts here, which should not be quickly dismissed by the way-‘

‘-you’re dismissing _my _supernatural reasoning-‘

**(_Five years later_)**

‘Anyways comments! Here we have YouTube subscriber _‘Indigo_Salad_’ who says ‘_listen. I was just watching for a good time- spooks are fun but I did not subscribe to see a locked door open like that in 3 different camera angles.’_

‘Well I mean- I don’t think “doors will open by themselves” would have made a good tagline anyways.’

‘It wouldn’t.

‘Here’s a comment from ‘_HideoKojimaIsMyDad’_ and they say ‘_ignoring how terrifying it was when the door opened and stuff, can we all appreciate the absolute devastation they unknowingly caused because of all of their adorable bed-hair hdfgkhsdfsjdlkfsdds’._

‘I don’t really think Hideo Kojima is their dad.’

‘They can dream. Also, that was before it really got to bed-hair, years of bleaching and colouring my hair turns it into a genuine bird’s nest and that’s not really cute.’

‘…you once told me that-‘

‘I SAID NOTHING TO YOU ABOUT ANY OF THIS!’

‘…’

‘…’

‘Next comment! This is from Twitter user _‘star emoji star emoji star emoji moon emoji star emoji star emoji star emoji star emoji star emoji star emoji’_ – 

Can I just ask why people have actual emojis as their username? And this is an iPhone user what if an Android user tries to access your account like-‘

‘Can you read their comment please.’

‘Anyways, what I’m saying is, kids, please, at least put some words in there. Makes it easier I think.’

‘Can we move on from your anti-apple product propaganda?’ 

‘So this user says ‘_damn Jongdae out here really looking like that in 10:37 like a whole meal, maybe that’s why all dem spooks came out to check him out’ _and you know what. I can accept that.’

_(makes cheesy sounds)_

‘I hate you so much right now.’

‘But hey I have a comment you’ll like here, it’s from Twitter use _‘LuckyFrogSong_’ who says ‘_baekhyun waking up before anyone could alert him on the situation is a sure sign that he’s probably supernaturally inclined- it was like he had spidey-senses and just new something was up and so woke up because of that’_.

‘…’

‘…-you look like-‘

** _(we apologize to all ear-phone/head-phone users)_ **

‘**YES!** Thank you _LuckyFrogSong _for this! I’ve always thought this you know? I think I definitely have some sort of sense-‘

‘-or it’s just you being hyper aware of the smallest shit and blowing it out of the water-‘

‘-or! I genuinely do have supernatural spidey-senses!’

‘Okay sure! Here’s another comment and it’s actually quite a read. The user is someone who used to, or at least they claim, that they lived in the area-‘

‘-oh! That’s cool!’

‘Right? Anyways, so it’s from YouTube and it’s from “_StayDeepRed_” who says ‘_My sister, who is a subscriber and fan, actually sent this to me freaking out. We used to live in that area when we were younger and that house was super notorious. My friend at the time used to live in the house right next to it, you can see it in the 6:21 mark on the video. He said that the garden area near that massive tree could never grow anything for a long period of time. And that there were no birds or nests on it even though its really big. And he told me that his grandmother who was senile used to spend quite a lot of time facing the tree in the garden and talk to it. But sometimes she would cry and try to hit the wall and they would have to take her back inside the house. After that she would ignore the tree but then she would go back again and it went on for quite a while. I don’t know what happened after that because my family moved and I lost contact. But its so bizarre to see Unsolved there and knowing that their friend used to live in it as a child. You guys are doing great! Ive subscribed!’ _

‘Oh my god- that’s so cool! Wow! So this place is pretty notorious then! Damn, doesn’t it make you wanna go back?’

‘Well we can’t even if we want to. I met Junmyeon-hyung the other day and he told me that they’ve decided to sell the estate to some developers. It’s likely they’ll tear down the house and redo the whole garden area as well.’

‘Ahh- I mean I guess that would take care of whatever ghost/demon that lives there.’ 

‘You sound hopeful.’

‘Let’s just say- for fun, that you also believe in ghosts. Wouldn’t you want to see whatever terrible thing living there was forever banished or finally in peace?’

‘I mean. Sure.’

‘Exactly. Next comment! Twitter user “_Titled Goose Explicit Word_”-

‘-thank you for censoring yourself-‘

‘-I literally censored this user myself-‘

‘-thank you for censoring them-‘

‘-who says ‘_fuck the door, did y’all notice the figure in the background of their selfie they uploaded on this cursed bird app. ps minseok is cute’ _so after reading this comment I went back to that picture and I looked at it-‘

‘-he really did-‘

‘-I zoomed in, super exposed it, sharped it, squinted, flipped it all over- wow the amount of things I did you won’t believe it- but I’m afraid I don’t see what “_Titled Goose Explicit Word” _mentioned.’

‘Wait let me look.’

_(Selfie poster on Twitter and Instagram)_

‘Sure Minseok-hyung is always cute. But other than that, yeah- there’s nothing I can see or tell. Minseok-hyung? What do you think?’

‘…seems pretty normal to me.’

‘Yeah- anyways, what can we expect for this upcoming episode?’

‘We’re gonna be putting on our dancing shoes!’

‘You guys can totally expect us to be busting our best moves next episode! A lot to look forward to.’

‘But who is the best dancer?’

‘We will find out!’

‘Anyways, thank you again so much for the comments! Though the amount of “Minseok cute” and other comments to that effect had to be filtered a lot. Please, control your thirst guys.’

‘Kinda difficult to.’

‘I’ll kill you.’

‘Cute and feisty. Nice.’ 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *
> 
> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> Stream “Purpose” by Taeyeon y’all
> 
> wow this is how long ago i wrote this chapter
> 
> but still
> 
> stream Purpose


	5. Unsolved Vlogs Season 2 Episode 2: The Dancing Spirits

‘If you’re wondering why we’re dressed like this today-‘

‘It’s not permanent don’t worry we’re not gonna be dressed like this the whole episode-‘

‘YES YOU WILL!’

‘SHUT UP SEHUN-‘

*

Minseok is shaking a little with suppressed laughter as he watches Baekhyun attempt to _bite _Sehun just a little off camera. Jongdae is standing there, in a silky lilac button-down, nylon purple adidas rip-offs, maroon cap, a fake tacky gold watch, green sneakers, topped with orange tinted sunglasses. 

He would have made fun of their outfits, because Baekhyun is wearing a bright orange shirt under a random basketball shirt over nylon blue adidas rip-offs and dark sunglasses he can’t see out of; but the problem is that Minseok is also just as chaotically dressed. 

Unfortunately due to their location, a nice and wide dance studio, covered in floor to ceiling mirrors, every single camera angle exposes his glossy nylon red pants, thin white shirt over a _jacket_, and the hair clips shoved into his hair (the hair clips were Baekhyun’s idea).

Sehun, their friend and freshman at their university (though in none of their faculties because Sehun was, to many people’s surprise, an Engineering student) had invited Baekhyun and Jongdae to investigate the dance studio he was a part of. 

As it would turn out, he was a massive fan of the show, though his comments would sometimes make you think otherwise. But his dance studio friends were absolute _addicts_. 

Minseok never really paused to consider that Jongdae and Baekhyun were in many ways, internet famous and had a steady amount of people who really enjoyed what they did, who they were, and their friendship. And while for today’s episode, Sehun would be the only person in this 2 floored studio space to show them around after hours, the whole dance crew from the studio were present for now, and were absolutely _thrilled_. 

Minseok thinks it must be an age difference thing.

Either way, Sehun had asked them if he could style them appropriately for the first half of the episode. And Baekhyun and Jongdae, being the weak fools they were, agreed, not knowing the chaos they signed up for.

And Minseok likes this shoot for today because!

No ghosts.

Minseok is absolutely relieved to feel absolutely no sense of ghosts, or anything spooky in this brand-spanking-new building.

An added bonus however, was the presence of Vivi, Sehun’s adorable dog. Minseok has never met a more stand-offish dog his entire life and was absolutely delighted at the deadpan stare it gave Baekhyun when the latter gave his hand out to shake. 

So yes, Minseok knows he’s about to just spend a fun day filming his two friends running around a dance studio. 

‘Hello everyone!’ Baekhyun begins, ‘And as you can see, we are very appropriately dressed for today’s occasion.’

‘It’s not a circus,’ Jongdae adds with an amused smile, ‘Maybe for another episode.’

‘I hate clowns,’ Baekhyun shudders.

‘And clowns everywhere are offended.’

‘I will not apologize!’

‘You’re both clowns.’

Minseok will have to blur Jongdae and Baekhyun flipping Sehun off-camera during editing. 

‘We’re at the EXODUS Dance Studio who are big fans-‘

‘-erikyoong!!’

‘-soondongie!!’

Baekhyun and Jongdae blush visibly on camera, their words coming out mumbled and an absolute mess. 

‘-who are uh, big fans of the show,’ Baekhyun manages to complete though he laughs in an embarrassed but pleased way.

‘They sent us an email about their dance studio which they believe is haunted.’ Jongdae explains, ‘But I guess we’ll be the judges of that?’

‘Or the instigators of that- what if we uh, end up triggering the ghosts?’ Baekhyun asks the small crew to the side.

Minseok pans to them and apparently they did not think that part through judging from their panic. 

‘And so let’s start with a little history of the place, and some of the dance crew’s personal stories!’ Baekhyun announces cheerily. 

As planned, they bring out some stools and set-up a small space for an interview. Minseok helps the dance-crew attach the mics onto their clothes. There were about 25 of them, but for today, not counting Sehun, there would be 4 others. Apparently they were the ones who had supernatural or strange things happen to them while they were here at the studio.

It’s funny watching a bunch of darkly and comfortably dressed young people sitting opposite Jongdae and Baekhyun who literally represented a nylon rainbow. 

‘This is why most people won’t take us seriously,’ Baekhyun wails comically, perfectly breaking the ice and allowing the young dancers to relax a little. 

‘You agreed though,’ Sehun says cheekily, holding up Vivi in his arms.

‘Can everyone say their names into the mics for sound check please?’ Minseok calls.

Everyone obediently carefully speaks their names into the mics and Minseok gives them a silent thumb’s up as a go-to sign.

Raising his hands Jongdae acts as the time clapper and they begin their interview.

‘So tell us about your experiences here at EXODUS,’ Jongdae begins.

They all giggle a little nervously before one of the 2 girls, Seulgi, begins.

‘So this happened to me fairly recently,’ she explains, hands twisting inside her long hoodie sleeves. ‘We’re in the middle of a rather intense routine and I wasn’t satisfied with some parts so I stayed back to practice a little more.’

Baekhyun and Jongdae nod.

‘I’ll admit I was very tired, but that’s not exactly something out of the norm, we’re pretty much always tired,’ Seulgi laughs while the others laugh and nod as well.

Fatigue was comedic apparently.

‘So I was concentrating really hard and I was super focused on perfecting my moves,’ Seulgi continues, ‘And over the music I thought someone was knocking on the entrance door. So I stopped and went to check. But no one was there. I thought I was just hearing things so I went back to practice, but I also decided maybe I should lower the volume?’ she chuckles and Baekhyun and Jongdae both grin at that, ‘So I continued. And I heard the knocking again, but this time it came from the next door studio space,’ she points towards one of the wide half-glass, half-metal door. ‘So I think someone’s trying to prank me and I yell-…well, I yell.’

The others laugh and so do Baekhyun and Jongdae.

‘I ignore it and I continue to practice but I guess I was very tired and after being interrupted twice I thought I would just end for the night,’ Seulgi explains. ‘And I was gonna walk over to the computer table there and I saw this movement from the corner of my eye through the doorway.’

Baekhyun turns in his seat to look at the doorway and where the sound system was set up.

‘And I thought this lot were being dicks and I went to yell at them,’ Seulgi explains, ‘So I went to open the door and yell I guess- but the doors were locked. And I remembered that our instructor had locked the studio up before she left.’

‘Is there another entrance?’ Jongdae asks.

‘Yes- but that’s the thing?’ Seulgi looks a little uncomfortable as she explains, ‘To get to that studio, you need to either go through this doorway here, or from the hallway that way. And the lights are automated in the hallway especially after closing hours, so if anyone was going in there, you would have to walk past _that _doorway that I would have been able to see in the mirrors and I think I would have noticed the lights.’

Baekhyun leans in, nodding as he listens.

‘So at first I thought, did someone break in? Or I don’t know, a bird got in through the window-‘ she laughs a little, ‘-or something. So I immediately went to get the security guard- he’s near the stairs so I called for him. He came up and checked the hallways and the locked studio but it was empty.’

‘And you were standing at the hallway near the stairs right? So there’s no other exit point?’

‘None.’ Seulgi nods.

‘That’s a fire hazard,’ Jongdae comments, making everyone stare at him. Then he adds defensively, ‘It is!’

‘Okay- thank you Seulgi,’ Baekhyun nods.

‘I think ours could classify as uhh, legendary?’ one of the boys says, indicating himself and another boy next to him. Ten and Taeyong. ‘We were practicing our set- again, this was pretty late at night.’

‘Yeah and we were monitoring ourselves so I set up my phone there,’ Taeyong points to the mirror over at the end of the studio space. ‘And after we finished, I went to get my phone so we could go through it.’

‘And while we were watching it, we noticed this,’ Ten says as Taeyong gets his phone out, practically vibrating with glee. ‘And we didn’t even notice at first! When we shared it with our chat, Yeri here actually asked us who was walking around outside the windows at night and if it was some dumb idea of a joke.’

The other girl, Yeri, nods and adds, ‘I thought they sent that just to play some prank and I was calling them out.’

‘Yeah!’ Taeyong manages to give the phone to Jongdae who takes it. ‘You’ll see it after the 2nd minute mark!’

Minseok waits to capture Baekhyun’s and Jongdae’s expressions.

Baekhyun’s eyes visibly widen, gawking at the phone Jongdae is holding. Jongdae is squinting a little as he looks at the phone. 

‘I thought it was just one of their reflections caught on the glass,’ Seulgi chimes in, ‘I hadn’t thought anything about it until Yeri pointed it out.’

‘Oh my fuck-‘ Baekhyun curses, body twisting away but eyes glued to the screen while Jongdae scrubs through the footage again. Minseok knows they’ll get the footage from Taeyong’s phone again later but he wants to look at it too. Picking up the freehand camera, Minseok walks over to stand behind the two. Jongdae replays that specific part.

‘So clearly we’re on the second floor. And there’s no landing outside the windows right?’ Baekhyun asks eagerly.

And Minseok can see why they would think it was a ghost walking past the windows.

Because it was.

Now that was odd.

There was absolutely no ghosts or supernatural creeps around the building. None of these kids had a spirit hanging off of them.

Minseok captures the footage and goes back to his position. 

They’re talking about their experiences, all of which Minseok is more than sure related to exhaustion, fatigue, adrenaline, and the major fact that mirrors were tricky pieces of shit, he looks out of the window at the neighbouring buildings. 

The one right next to this side of the building seemed fine, though Minseok can’t always tell by _looking _at a building/house. One side is open to the street, and the other faces another building as well. 

The rest of the crew minus Sehun leave, all delighted grin and smiles at the prospect of having their dance studio investigated for ghosts. 

Kids these days.

Sehun begins to show them around the place. 

The lights have now all been switched off for ambience, something Sehun was very persistent about. 

‘Sehun will be giving us a tour of the place and pointing out places where these supernatural events have taken place,’ Jongdae starts, smiling at the camera. ‘We will then place some motion sensor cameras, and of course, we will be spending some time alone around the studio too- oh hyung, are you cold? Here.’

Out of nowhere, Jongdae hands Minseok a small hand-warmer from inside his jacket, ‘You should wear gloves.’

Minseok just grins his thanks, taking the small warm object and keeping it inside his pocket for the time being. 

‘Stop flirting with hyung let’s start,’ Sehun drawls, unimpressed as he shakes his hair back before pulling on a beanie. 

‘Minseok-hyung is easy to flirt with,’ Baekhyun adds unhelpfully winking at Minseok.

‘Can we not make editing more difficult than it needs to be,’ Minseok sighs.

The three of them cackle in amusement. 

Minseok has to adjust the camera over his shoulder to include Sehun into the shot. Not that he went out of frame, but Minseok is used to filming Baekhyun and Jongdae and the three of them were all vertically challenged. But Sehun is a tall stringy boy and Minseok begrudgingly guesses that he will continue to grow a little more. 

‘Okay guys we’re gonna start with our tour, and Sehun, you wanna introduce yourself?’ Baekhyun asks.

‘Didn’t you already do that?’ Sehun looks blankly at the camera and mouths ‘_age is not Baekhyun hyung’s friend’_.

‘Hey you long asshole-‘

‘Please let’s not get flagged,’ Minseok sighs.

‘This is Sehun who is our tall and wonderful _friend_,’ Baekhyun says through gritted teeth. 

‘Hi guys,’ Sehun grins, making a rather dumb pose but somehow still managing to look cool. ‘And this-‘ he bends down to pick up his dog, ‘-this is Vivi.’

The dog looks blankly at the camera.

‘Who’s a good boy?’ Baekhyun coos.

‘Vivi does not conform to society's expectations of gender. Vivi is a good Vivi.’ 

Baekhyun has a stiff grin, eyes a little wide before he recovers and says, ‘Who’s a good Vivi? You’re a good Vivi!’

Sehun smiles with approval.

‘Shall we?’ Jongdae looks like he’s trying not to laugh. 

Minseok follows the trio through the dark hallway.

‘So how long have you been dancing here?’ Baekhyun asks. 

‘It’s been a little over a year,’ Sehun replies, patting Vivi. ‘We started noticing weird stuff about 6-7 months ago.’

‘Have you personally felt or seen anything unusual?’ Jongdae asks.

‘Not personally,’ Sehun replies as they stop in front of a doorway. ‘They used to talk about it but I thought it was just something for fun. But that practice video was interesting. So I thought, my hyungs are investigating ghosts, why not see if this is actually ghosts?’

‘I guess,’ Jongdae chuckles. ‘But like we said before, what if we trigger something?’

‘Then it’s triggered,’ Sehun shrugs, ‘Maybe the ghost is a baby-boomer.’

‘Should we yell ‘_okay boomer’_ really loud?’ Baekhyun asks gleefully. 

‘We should do that after I leave,’ Sehun cuts in before sniffing loudly and saying, ‘Don’t want any shit going down while I’m here.’

‘Can we not swear too much,’ Jongdae grins apologetically at the camera Minseok was holding up. ‘Let’s save Minseok-hyung the trouble of too much sound editing.’

‘Only for Minseok-hyung,’ Sehun shoots Minseok an incredibly deadpan finger-heart. 

‘Wow, I felt that,’ Baekhyun remarks dryly.

‘Okay let’s get back to the topic!’ Jongdae says loudly, both eyebrows raised high.

‘Yeah yeah,’ Sehun waves blithely as he opens the sliding doors into one of the studios.

‘This is the infamous studio where Ten and Taeyong recorded the “legendary” video yes?’ Jongdae asks as they step in. Minseok quickly adjusts the camera aperture and ISO to fit the moody dim light in the studio. It’s thankfully not frigid even though the heating and air-conditioning were all shut down to accommodate Jongdae and Baekhyun’s request so as to make sound editing a little easier. Also Baekhyun believed that electrical signals messed up with any supernatural communication- a strange theory considering he used the “spirit-box”, which relied on electricity to an extent. 

‘We did a lot of research into the area and the land,’ Baekhyun says as he turns around to face the camera, ‘But we found nothing conclusive in both newspaper reports, library archives, police reports, or even general gossip. If there is a haunting, then it must be recent.’

Sehun gives them a tour of the whole floor, including a very detailed account of how Vivi only liked to pee on a specific area in the locker-room and refused to pee on the mats Sehun brought with him. Minseok catches Jongdae’s eyes glazing over just a little somewhere after the 7th minute of the 15 minute rant. They set up static cameras, and with Minseok’s suggestion, one facing the windows looking outwards. It seemed to confuse Jongdae a bit but he didn’t question it.

Minseok really enjoys being older and regarded as “experienced”. It meant he could get away with some things and he was damn sure going to take advantage of it.

‘Can we please change now,’ Baekhyun begs.

‘I don’t know, it’s kinda grown on me,’ Jongdae laughs, looking down at this bright clothes.

‘You’re more than welcome to stay in that for the rest of the shoot,’ Baekhyun offers as they change in the locker-room. Sehun does nothing to look away and instead looks at Minseok expectantly.

‘If I didn’t think of you as a younger brother I would have punched you,’ Baekhyun says as he throws his nylon shirt at Sehun who grins in a delighted manner.

‘Damn, didn’t know hyung was ripped,’ Sehun gives him a thumbs up as he changes his shirt.

‘You should see Junmyeon,’ Jongdae laughs as he pulls on his sweater, hair delightfully messed up in the process. 

‘The rich nerd from the previous episode?’ Sehun inquires.

‘Listen, I’d try to defend Junmyeon but that’s a pretty on-spot description of Junmyeon at first glance,’ Jongdae concedes. 

‘So rich nerd is ripped?’

‘Super ripped- he could rip you in half,’ Baekhyun adds, nearly tripping as he pulls on his pants. 

‘Sweet- will he be my sugar-daddy.’

‘SEHUN!’ Baekhyun yelps, tripping in his pants and nearly faceplanting on the lockers.

Once Sehun leaves, Vivi giving them one last unimpressed look, they’re left alone in the two-story dance studio. 

‘Okay, with our tour done- should we dive straight into it?’ Baekhyun asks, rubbing his hands together with excitement.

‘Let’s get on with it,’ Jongdae nods.

Minseok always wants to laugh when Baekhyun brings along the flashlights. Because it’s incredibly fake and shows no indication of supernatural activity whatsoever. But Baekhyun places it on the studio floor where Seulgi had said she saw something strange. 

‘We’ve heard about the strange sounds and possible apparitions experienced and witnessed in this area of the studio,’ Baekhyun starts to look a little nervous while Jongdae is suppressing an amused grin. ‘If you are a spirit, ghost-’

‘-or baby-boomer demon-’

‘-please make yourself known by switching on this flashlight on the fl-OOR OH GOD!’ Baekhyun collides into Jongdae as the flashlight flickers on. 

‘Okay okay okay, this is- this is great,’ Baekhyun exhales breathlessly. ‘Could you switch it off for me ag-AIN!’

Minseok pans from the flashlight to Baekhyun, knowing that the GoPro on Baekhyun would perfectly capture the flashlight anyway. Minseok kinda just wants to document Baekhyun’s reactions in an environment with absolutely no supernatural activity. 

And he gets some top quality footage, as Jongdae puts it. 

Baekhyun catches his own reflection unaware and he screams so loud Minseok is worried that the neighbouring buildings and businesses will think something sinister was happening. 

But to both his relief and some worry, no one comes in on them to check if something bad was happening. 

‘All right, so to end tonight’s video, Jongdae and I will of course, be doing our own singular tour of the place. And as the studio isn’t too big, we’ve decided to go up and down the place by ourselves, without a specified time-limit. Just need to go around the place.’ Baekhyun tells the camera, sweat on his face. 

As per usual, Jongdae goes in first.

Minseok and Baekhyun stand outside of the building, their breaths forming white mist. Baekhyun challenges Minseok into who can extend their breath the furthest.

It’s a weird challenge that Baekhyun wins, boasting superior lung capacity while nervously glancing at the dark glassy windows of the dance studio.

At one point, you hear Jongdae yelling (another person with great lung capacity) ‘_COME GET ME YOU BABY-BOOMER DEMON!!!!’. _Baekhyun giggles hysterically.

Jongdae comes out looking completely amused and saying, ‘Minseok-hyung, have fun with my footage later.’

‘That sounds incredibly dirty,’ Minseok sighs out while Jongdae cackles. 

Baekhyun nods, more to himself than anything, before he too enters the dance studio.

‘This is a really nice establishment,’ Jongdae says conversationally, ‘It’s very conveniently located near a train station, several cafes and what I hear is a very good family-run restaurant with excellent cuts of meat. And no, I have not been paid to sponsor this place. I’m just commenting and I also think it would be an amusing montage to have me say this while we cut to Baekhyun’s mental breakdown inside the studio.’

Jongdae giggles gleefully to himself, pausing only to marvel at the sight of how his breath forms a white mist in the air. 

He then challenges Minseok to the same competition Baekhyun did not 10 minutes ago.

Jongdae wins.

‘It does get a bit trippy inside,’ Jongdae admits. ‘A lot of reflections. Wonder how Baekhyun is faring with the whole “_fourth reflection is not your face” _thing.’

‘Uh- what?’

‘Hyung! You’ve never heard of that?’ Jongdae asks as though surprised. ‘There’s a belief that when you stand between two mirrors facing each other, the fourth reflection is not yours.’

Minseok guesses his expression must have been very dubious because Jongdae laughs.

‘Yeah, me too, but Baekhyun was really frightened by that- we can’t even go into elevators.’ Jongdae cackles before adding, ‘I bet you he’s doing that inside the studio right now.’

‘If the reflection is not yours, then whose is it?’ Minseok inquires. This was an interesting lore.

‘I dunno- you’ll have to ask Baek, he did “research”,’ Jongdae grins.

Baekhyun reappears, face a little pale, eyes a bit wide.

‘You okay there?’ Jongdae asks amiably, throwing out an arm to hug Baekhyun.

‘I hate mirrors,’ is all Baekhyun says.

* 

Minseok goes over the footage a couple of days after their shoot. Baekhyun and Jongdae were sitting on either side of him, scrolling through their own footage. They normally stuck to a rough storyboard of how they will combine all of their footage and the two placed markers on parts of the clip they wanted included in the final cut as well making sure to write out notes for timing. 

Minseok takes on his own footage from the camera he used, as well as the static cameras or motion cameras they place around the location they shoot in. 

When Baekhyun decides to take a short nap, pillowing Minseok’s lap while Jongdae offers to go get them some food from the convenience store, Minseok takes the time to carefully scrub through the footage from the camera facing the windows.

For the longest time, nothing comes of it.

And it’s not too surprising because it wasn’t common to have genuine supernatural occurrences take place on film. Or at least take place and have it seen by everyone else. 

So it’s definitely surprising when towards the end of the footage, a few minutes before Jongdae goes to retrieve the camera, Minseok makes clear note of a figure walking past the windows.

And it’s clearer this time.

It’s definitely from the building next door, where an extended balcony stretched out, nearly reaching the dance studio. 

Minseok doesn’t know and can’t tell if it’s something sinister or just a “normal” spirit. 

‘Pity there’s nothing to be found on the footage,’ Baekhyun says suddenly, voice groggy, startling Minseok a little.

‘Yeah,’ Minseok agrees, moving away from the mouse to pat Baekhyun’s head. 

‘Just really wanna capture a cool footage. Show Jongdae up,’ he complains sleepily. 

Minseok laughs, carding through Baekhyun’s hair with his fingers. Baekhyun turns around, his face pushing into Minseok’s abdomen, making sounds akin to purring. 

‘Puppy,’ Minseok laughs.

‘What do you really think hyung?’ Baekhyun asks, looking up with one open eye.

‘About? The studio?’

‘No- spirits and stuff.’

‘I think…-I think they’re real. But maybe not in the way we think they do,’ Minseok tells him honestly. 

‘Does it freak you out?’

‘Not really,’ Minseok chuckles, ‘I think reality is more frightening any spirit or ghost or demon.’

Jongdae returns as Baekhyun grins before he groans, ‘Fuck- just realized I have a paper to submit tonight.’ 

‘Then stop hogging hyung’s lap and get on with it,’ Jongdae remarks, placing paper bowls of oden on the table. ‘Besides, it’s my turn.’

‘Puppy out, kitten in,’ Baekhyun says, sitting up and stretching. 

‘Hyung!’ Jongdae calls out joyfully before collapsing on the long couch and pillowing his head on Minseok’s lap. ‘Pet me too!’

‘By the way,’ Baekhyun says over a mouthful of oden, wide grin forming on his face as he points to his laptop screen, ‘Should we add Sehun’s comment of Junmyeon being his sugar daddy in the video?’

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i was super busy for the past 3 weeks due tO IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS GOD I HATE IMMIGRATION PROCESSES  
but it's cleared up and that's all that matters  
ALSO I AM EMPLOYED (TM) PLEASE CONGRATULATE ME YOU ARE LOOKING AT AN OFFICIAL 3D MODELER WORKING A MONDAY TO FRIDAY 10-7 JOB EARNING A MONTHLY SALARY Y'ALL I AM EMOTIONAL AND IN DISBELIEF


	6. Unsolved: Autopsy [The Dancing Spirits]

DaeDroid: _I LOVE SEHUN BUT I LOVE VIVI MORE CAN I BE THRE SUGAR MOMMY I VOLUNTEER OVER THAT JUNMYEON GUY_

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _oh no why would you include that clip of me desperately talking about needing a sugar daddy oh no I am forever torn Junmyeon please I was not at all serious that’s why I DMd you an apology and not my account number_

Promised-poetry: _this was a fun episode! I checked out their dance videos and they’re???????? so good!!!!!!!! I love them so much!!_

Mareete: _this minseok dude is stealing the show I can’t concentrate what am I going to do about this _

kimlipisBae: _I HATE MIRRORS I THOUGHT I SAW SOMETHING AT 11:04 AND I’M NOT SURE IF IT’S JUST A TRICK OF MY EYE BUT I HATED THAT VIDEO CLIP MY EYES OGDO MY EYES_

minghaoFrogagenda: _ive been folloing this channel for a long whiel and honestly ive never laughed more than I did than with ths episode this is hoenstly amazing_

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _baek please don’t do this to yourself every episode it can’t be good for your health baby please listen to me_

mweogi_0309: _i cANT BELIEVE SEHUN IS A REAL LIVING DUDE OMG HE’S SO CHAOTIC _

Professional Procrastinator 3000: _all jokes aside do you think the place is haunted because a nearby place is actually the real haunted place and the mirrors are causing a kind of vortex/portal effect, bringing in their projections about the studio?_

GrimArtandStuff: _I was late and too busy to watch when this updated but I sHOULD HAVE SAVED THIS EPISODE FOR LAST BECAUSE YOUR LATEST EPSDE NEARLY MADE ME PEE MY PANTS_

*

‘Hello!’

‘You’re very happy today.’

‘I’m glad you pointed that out-‘

‘-please don’t dance-‘

(_aggressive dancing ensues, we apologize for your eyes_)

‘GUYS WE HIT 20K SUBSCRIBERS WE ARE SO HAPPY!’

(_we are sorry for your ears_)

‘In all seriousness wow guys- genuinely, this makes us so happy, we are so happy we are reaching more people with our content, and that by watching us, we make your day happy or even spooky sometimes and-‘

‘-it really means a lot guys, we only just started this because it was first an assignment and then a hobby and we just- it really means a lot to us.’

‘This also means we can actually pay Minseok-hyung with more than just our love and appreciation.’

‘But hyung likes that!’

(I don’t)

(_short intermission_)

‘Right! We’re back again to discuss the previous episode, the Dancing Spirits. I would say it was one of our more lighter episodes, don’t you think?’

‘Uh- no.’

‘…what do you mean-‘

‘-the mirrors! Dude, the mirrors.’

‘They’re just mirrors-‘

‘_They’re just mirrors_

Famous last words-‘

‘I am literally still here-‘

‘-I did some more research into mirrors so I am here to present my case-‘

‘-oh my god you actually have a legit folder-?’

_(slamming sound on table)_

‘Behold! My research!’

‘Wish you exuded this energy when you asked me to find you that transition effect, would’ve saved us all a lot of time.’

(cackling sounds)

‘HYUNG-!’

(_short intermission_)

‘Right, after that just and deserving call out, we are back!’

‘With Baek’s research folder on mirrors!’

‘Stop gloating like that I am still the favorite.’

‘No you’re not!’

(cheesy grin and finger guns)

‘Back to my research please I genuinely took out a lot of time doing this because I wanted to prove some theories-‘

‘-any evidence to back up your hypothesis Mr. Byun?’

‘-plenty, Mr. Kim-‘

‘-concrete evidence Byun-‘

‘-_for me _yes. I am concretely certain that this is perfect evidence-‘

‘-I don’t think _concretely _is a word-‘

(_another short intermission_)

‘According to what I’ve found, mirrors are commonly believed to be portals.

These portals can be endless, or lead elsewhere in worlds we don’t know exist.

It can also lead to places that are not, well-‘

‘Nice.’

‘Yes. Not nice. And sometimes mirrors, when reflected _back _to our dimension, becomes a two-way portal. Because just one mirror faces one way- meaning it’s _one _portal opening looking inwards.’

‘So mirrors reflecting each other are like having two doors into a room?’

‘Precisely! So as you all remember, the dance studio-‘

‘-covered head to toe- I mean, covered ceiling to floor, with mirrors-‘

‘Exactly!’

(_proud and pleased grin on his face_)

‘…

That’s your evidence?’

‘No!

It’s my explanation! My evidence is this part!

My research shows that at least, every significant culture _across _the world, has always viewed mirrors, and in the past, reflective surfaces such as water, or metal- they lead or guide you to different places and or open up pathways for other worldly beings to enter!’

‘Oooh, give me that history.’

‘…’

‘I like history!

Hyung! You do too right?’

‘Hyung is not here to save you- here is your history!

First of all, mirrors are popularly used in wiccan or witchcraft, as conduits or vessels for communication- especially with ghosts, demons, or spirits from another real.

Mirrors are of course, in modern western folklore, considered to be a form of bad luck if broken- we all know that-‘

‘-seven years of bad luck?’

‘Yes- seven. It’s also widely acknowledged and understood that looking into a mirror during the dark, or even at night, is considered bad luck, or _revealing_.’

‘Interesting- well, there is a lot of visual warping if you stare too long at your own reflection- looking at a mirror in the dark would definitely fuck things up.’

‘So you’ve never used a mirror in the dark?’

‘Why would I use a mirror in the dark?! That’s so dumb?’

‘No-! As in, like pass mirrors in the dark?’

‘Sure? But it’s _dark_\- I can’t see shit!’

‘I-…I guess yeah.

Besides I guess- in many ways one of the common themes, or at least common understanding behind these myths was really just a lot to do with your own internal reflection.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Like how in the end- demons, ghosts, spirits- none of these are really truly frightening if you compare them to real living human beings you know? In the end, the thing that can and will hurt us the most, is well, other human beings- and so often, ourselves.’

‘…’

‘…’

‘…why are you both looking at me like that-‘

(_short intermission_)

‘I- so I’m, uh, ehehehehehehehe-‘

‘I will accept this hypothesis for today, Byun, because of your excellent presentation.’

(_thumb’s up_)

‘Comment section time!’

‘This one comes from ‘Please play Koya’s Sleep Music to my Funeral’ who says ‘_I hate that thing about mirrors and the 4th reflection bullshit, like I don’t believe in it but catch me DEAD trying to see my 4th reflection’_.

I think I resonate with this a lot-‘

‘-but don’t you _believe _in that myth?’

‘-not 100%! Because like you said, reflection tend to warp out a lot! And there is definitely credible research put into how you appear to your own eyes after you stare at yourself in mirrors for too long, it’s really cool actually! Can Minseok-hyung put links in the description?’

‘Sure.’

‘Another from YouTube subscriber ‘Why Are All The B-Sides Bops?’-‘

‘Indeed, why _are _all the b-sides all bops?’

‘For?’

‘Every album ever.’

‘Sure-‘

‘Which is why!’

(_shuffling sounds, mic hits table, we apologize for your ears_)

‘Guys, listen to every song in an album before saying you like it or not- I mean yeah title tracks can be hit or miss but b-sides really hit you hard you know-?’

‘Okay great thank you for that PSA, please sit down as I read their comment which goes ‘_I had the misfortune of watching the bit about Sehun wanting Junmyeon as a sugar daddy while drinking water and I inhaled it wrong then I dropped my phone at the same time and stepped on it because my eyes were burning and I couldn’t see I have never lost so much in 3 seconds of my life.’_

(_breathless cackling and laughing ensues, again, we apologize for your ears_)

‘Oh god- I’m-‘

‘B-side Bops, I’m so sorry this happened to you I swear, if you’re in the area or something and you see us, please let us know, we’ll buy you a meal!’

(_There has been a lot of intermissions this episode, I humbly apologize, this was a pain to edit)_

‘But yes- so! What do we have this coming episode Jongdae?’

‘Well Baekhyun, I can tell you it’s gonna be great. Doubly great. Because we’re gonna be going to an extremely obscure location which I initially found incredibly dubious because well, Baekhyun found it!’

‘I would be offended but I’ll admit I understand why you doubted it because I didn’t think the story would lead to anything either! But wow- we’re leaving tomorrow afternoon, and as finals are over, we have a decent amount of time to explore a location that’s not within the city or the surrounding towns!’

‘Our first official off-city shoot! It’s gonna be great! We’re gonna be there for 3 days, 2 nights!’

‘So it’s going to be a two-part video, and I can promise you, you guys are really going to enjoy this episode!’

‘Thanks again for the 20K subscribers!’

‘LOVE YOU GUYS-!’

(_sorry_)

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *
> 
> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> Okay for real the next updates are gonna be spooky I’m just giving an advance warning


	7. Unsolved Vlogs Season 2 Episode 3: The Greenhouse Hauntings Pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is part two of the update!!

Minseok enjoys travelling. There’s a sort of fun disassociation that comes with travelling that allows him to simply empty his mind, enjoy the view, and mindlessly roam through random thoughts or listen to music. He finds it incredibly restful, and in a sense rather therapeutic.

And after the final exams, this was a wonderful welcome reprieve towards a long awaited break before entering his final semester where he would need to prepare for his thesis. He already has an idea on what to do, but he needs to discuss matters with his advisor.

But his advisor, bless her lovely heart, also needed a break. So Minseok sort of looks forward to this utterly random road-trip for their next episode.

Baekhyun had found the place, combing through random mails (a lot of mails) sent to them, requesting them to investigate certain places, or just random stories and or myths from certain areas. This one had apparently been interesting enough for Jongdae to want to genuinely look into. It was also apparently a scenic place to go so Minseok looks forward to filming something idyllic instead of some dilapidated building.

Normally, Jongdae and Baekhyun gave him a run-down of where they were going, what they were investigating, and the background for the location, story, or people involved. But due to exams, Minseok had been out of touch and was only aware that after the final exam date, they would be travelling out immediately. And as the driver, Minseok had to know where and when they would be leaving so he could prepare renting out a car for the trip, being the only one with a license.

Jongdae and Baekhyun arrive at 9 AM sharp. Jongdae looking much more awake than Baekhyun who looks somewhat half asleep. They’re both carrying duffle-bags and pulling along Baekhyun’s massive and ridiculously strong suitcase they would be storing all of their equipment in.

‘Good morning!’ Jongdae beams, handing Minseok a cup of coffee before Minseok can even greet him back.

‘Thanks Dae,’ Minseok takes the cup as he steps back, allowing the duo to enter.

‘I love your place hyung,’ Baekhyun says sleepily, ‘So clean and always smells so good.’

‘Is this what it looks like to be an adult?’ Jongdae wonders, standing near the living room and looking around with admiration.

‘Stop sucking up,’ Minseok rolls his eyes, gulping down his coffee. ‘I’ll be ready in a few minutes but fill me in on what we’re gonna be doing.’

Baekhyun stretches before collapsing like a noodle into the grey couch Minseok himself has crashed into many times. It’s not that Minseok came from a very rich family- he still worked a steady part-time job (though now _this _could be considered his part-time job) and saved up on everything as best as he could. But he lucked out when an aunt who lived in the city, mentioned that one of her friends was letting out a nice one-bedroom studio space and would give it to Minseok for a significantly cheaper price than anything of its size in the market. It was a little far away from the university, but Minseok learnt to adapt.

Minseok is proud of where he was, and couldn’t wish for more.

‘I’m genuinely excited to go,’ Jongdae grins as he takes a seat next to Baekhyun, shoulders bouncing a little. ‘From just a general story-telling perspective, it’s really cool too!’

‘There’s a greenhouse,’ Baekhyun explains as he yawns before sitting up straight, ‘And it’s been built over what was thought to be pretty normal and standard property but- I did some digging into the area-‘

‘-Baekhyun genuinely called like, 5 estate agencies _and _the agriculture department in the area,’ Jongdae says, sounding proud.

‘-want concrete facts!’ Baekhyun exclaims before continuing, ‘So it turns out that a huge section of the land there used to look really different before- it was a small community about, give or take, 80 years ago? And this is the original layout.’

With some difficulty, Baekhyun procures his tablet from inside his jacket pocket and after finding the images, slides it over to Minseok over the carpet where he was packing up.

‘I’ve circled the plot of land we’re going to investigate,’ Baekhyun tells him. ‘Also outlined the land right now in green! See! Complementary colours!’

‘You take _one _seminar in design and now you’re a master at colour theory,’ Jongdae remarks dryly before shuffling towards Minseok on his knees to just poke at his packing, ‘Hyung, your packing is so neat.’

Minseok slaps his inquisitive paws away before he squints at the tablet. It’s fine at first, nothing remarkable before Minseok swipes to the edited photo.

The property they were looking at now stood directly on top of what used to be a crossroads some 60 years back.

A lot of cultures across the world had stories and myths regarding crossroads. Minseok’s aunt has said many times that living in a house near any crossroad intersection invited, not bad, but not necessarily good circumstances. Of course _now _with modern technology, the development of massive electricity-based networking, a lot of the past myths and or legends were no longer applicable because the basis of fear long changed from the primal fears of darkness, predators, hunger, cold, and being lost. But some things still existed and pushed on – fear, hatred, anger, malice, cruelty- all of this still existed and could pervade any place with newly adapted forms.

And crossroads were excellent places to allow these to gather and strengthen.

But Minseok doesn’t want to jump to conclusions.

‘Crossroads!’ Baekhyun exclaims, ‘But it’s not just that! Jongdae found old newspaper reports from this area and!’

‘Witchcraft,’ Jongdae says gleefully.

‘Witchcraft?’ Minseok repeats slowly.

Well, fuck.

‘Yes!’ Baekhyun nods excitedly, all sleepiness gone. ‘Reports of witch-doctors and shamans being heavy influencers at the time. I think this area, at the time, before it is the way it is now, wasn’t very fertile? Like, not a lot of farming was possible. And so witch-doctors and shamans were really influential and stayed in this area a lot. In fact, according to some of the earliest records, this place doesn’t have a proper irrigation system so the shamans were requested to specify points where they could dig wells.’

Minseok shifts uncomfortably at that.

‘We’re guessing there were a lot of sacrifices done?’ Jongdae wonders, ‘I looked into the kind of shamanism they might have followed in the area and most rituals do require some sort of blood.’

Minseok knows this well. Most were just harmless rituals of burning herbs in animal fat obtained from the butchers- but if this went to the more serious, more dangerous side of witchcraft, it was absolutely possible that it could have even lead to something more ghastly than animal sacrifices.

‘So this place is a greenhouse now?’

‘Yeah,’ Baekhyun nods, ‘Whatever witchcraft they did then works now because the government expanded irrigation channels to this area and leveled some of the smaller hills here for making space for paddy fields. But most of it is gone and there’s houses in this area,’ he reaches over and taps at an area a little away from the circled zone. ‘This area is still farm land- but I think it’s like, fruit trees and maybe vegetable patches?’

Jongdae nods.

‘And what’s the story?’

‘The greenhouse was a government project but later went to private ownership,’ Baekhyun reels off, taking back his tablet. ‘They grow some rare plants, but it’s mainly like a park for the public? Date spot? It’s nice-‘

‘-but the story is,’ Jongdae butts in, bringing them back to the topic, ‘-the greenhouse keepers don’t like to stay after dark. Closing time is at 8, and no one ever stays back, and no one walks around by themselves in the garden alone after dark.’

Jongdae sounds oddly enthusiastic about this, which is odd to Minseok because Jongdae wasn’t one to find any of this worthy of enthusiasm. 

‘The person who reached out to us, a Mr. Jeon Jungkook, works there. His best-friend is a fan, and told us to email us especially after they found _this_,’ Jongdae is almost shivering as he grabs Baekhyun’s tablet and furiously taps about.

‘It’s a little scary how enthusiastic you are,’ Minseok laughs, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling in his gut.

‘Hyung, same,’ Baekhyun laughs, ‘I think it’s because it doesn’t really fit what he thinks is the “cliché” ghost story.’

‘Here!’ Jongdae eagerly waves the tablet at Minseok who takes it.

He’s a little confused for a moment, glossing over the polite and well constructed email before his eyes register the images he’s looking at.

‘Eggs.’

Minseok stares at the dirt-covered egg on the recently excavated ground, a pair of rubber-boot clad feet in the photo as well.

He’s definitely very uncomfortable now.

‘They found what?’ Minseok stares at the picture of the egg, his mind whirling. 

‘Eggs, buried in the four corners of the land.’ Jongdae sounds excited.

‘I-…I’m assuming they’re not like- I dunno, goose eggs or swan eggs or-‘ Minseok wonders if there was a poultry farm somewhere.

‘-no they were chicken eggs,’ Baekhyun explains sound creeped out but also excited.

Minseok feels distinctly uncomfortable.

This was bordering on not just “aesthetic” witchcraft like he hoped for, but on genuine black-magic like actions.

‘Mr. Jeon says he broke one accidently with his shovel, and he says he found _hair _in them,’ Jongdae sounds almost creepy with how excited he was, ‘That’s so gross isn’t it hyung? So gross and original I’ve never heard this before-‘

A shiver runs down Minseok’s back.

He wishes he knew what they were looking into before Baekhyun and Jongdae made the decision to go for this investigation.

Fuck.

Minseok _hates _witchcraft. Though a better word for it would be shamanism. His aunt always warned him of places that used shamanism and till now, a shrine, or a house that has been “blessed” using shamanism still gets to him. It wasn’t always negative- shamanism has been used for positive of course- but the weight of what it could open up to was incredibly heavy. Minseok has never had to deal with shamanism before- not directly at least. He’s been near shrines, seen a few shamans, been to 2 houses blessed by shamans- each experience left him uncomfortable, like a sticky substance on his skin, pulling down slowly with a weight he can’t shake off.

‘-but he freaked out, and ran away to get his friend. When they got back, because of course his friend didn’t believe him, it was gone.’ Jongdae finishes, unaware of Minseok’s internal struggle. ‘After that, he was determined to prove what he saw. So almost a month later, he found the egg again- and he yelled for his friend, and that’s how they took this picture. Mr. Jeon wanted to break the egg again, but his friend freaked out and stopped him,’ Jongdae laughs, ‘Or at least that’s the story.’

‘And that’s it?’ Minseok asks, sounding as normal as he could.

Instead Jongdae and Baekhyun give him twin devilish grins.

‘So- remember what I said about the whole, not staying here after dark?’ Baekhyun gestures with the tablet, ‘So Mr. Jeon, who is new to the place actually, summer-job I think he said? He started asking around and the older employees. Damn, the amount of stories- here, he lists them here!’

Minseok swipes up towards the email and at the neat bullet-points of every single incident he was able to hear about. Strange shadowy figures, full body apparitions, things moving from their place, foul smells, feeling like they’re being followed, phantom touches, sounds of displaced footsteps, giggling, doors slamming shut, windows slamming shut.

‘There’s a lot of stories,’ Jongdae nods, ‘But it’s just so cool to me! The whole set-up! Even if this is just a hoax, this is a really good one and I need in on it!’

Great. Baekhyun’s enthusiasm was one thing. Most times Jongdae simply indulged his best-friend and went along. But with _both _of them raring to go, Minseok doesn’t know how to deter them.

But other than that.

Minseok is also intrigued.

And maybe Baekhyun and Jongdae’s enthusiasm was getting to him, because despite the clear discomfort he felt towards shamanism, Minseok wants to investigate.

*

Baekhyun falls asleep 30 minutes into the car-ride. Jongdae sits shot-gun, having won an unnecessarily aggressive rock-paper-scissor match. It was mainly to fight over who would get the AUX cable. But he’s quiet right now, just humming along to the music playing quietly from his playlist.

Minseok likes listening to Jongdae sing and despite the destination they were headed for and the activity they were about to start, it’s a nice relaxing drive. The weather was nice and clear and not too cold just yet. The trees were bare and dry, but the sunlight filtering through them was a nice warm tone. Minseok is reminded of the drives his family used to go on in the winters to parks and other places. And everything is perfect when they stop for a short break and Baekhyun finds some wonderfully sweet oranges at a local market. Jongdae insists of making them a little warm by placing them on the dashboard, and it’s incredibly endearing as well as nostalgic.

Baekhyun takes a picture of them and posts it up on their social media accounts. They laugh as he reads out a few comments here and there, the fragrance of oranges encasing them like a protective shield from what they were about to get into.

The town is a small, farming community. Most of the people outside were older, wearing thick comfortable work-clothes. Minseok doesn’t really spot a lot of people his age or a little older. It was possible that most were living and working in the city.

So far, Minseok can’t tell I anything is terribly off with the town. It’s also fine when they pull up to what is clearly the only motel in the area.

According to Baekhyun, Mr. Jeon Jungkook and his friend would be waiting for them. Minseok spies two very tall young boys, probably in their late teens, standing near the doorway of the motel.

‘Is that them?’ Jongdae asks.

‘Yeap, I think so. That’s Jungkook, and the other one must be Taehyung,’ Baekhyun replies, squinting a little as Minseok slows to a stop.

The two boys are beaming as they bow before they’re even remotely close. They’re both fresh faced and young, a little shy and awkward but still enthusiastic.

‘Hi!’ the one that Minseok guesses is Jungkook. ‘It’s so nice to meet you!’

‘Hi!’ Baekhyun yells, pushing against Jongdae’s face with equal enthusiasm, ‘It’s good to see you too!’

‘Where can I park?’ Minseok has to yell before Baekhyun decides to start a conversation there and then.

‘Ah!’ Jungkook looks around a bit flustered before the other one next to him says in a shockingly deep voice and two thumb’s up, ‘It’s around the back! We’ll help carry your stuff!’

They’re excessively polite and boisterously help them take in their equipment, all the while talking loudly over each other about how they’re both big fans and were so happy to see them there.

‘Ah,’ Jongdae sighs, ‘Kids these days have so much energy.’

‘I don’t think they’re more than 5 years younger than you,’ Minseok deadpans.

‘So cute,’ Jongdae continues, pretending not to hear Minseok. ‘So tall.’

And they were indeed tall.

Sehun would definitely have some comment about this episode, Minseok thinks darkly.

The hotel owners are an older married couple who greet them with enough enthusiasm to embarrass Baekhyun and Jongdae because they exclaim that they’ve never had celebrities in the area before. Baekhyun is _very _quick to dash this idea down, stammering and turning red.

‘Ah! You should have come in September or October!’ the woman exclaims, ‘It’s so pretty then with the harvest and fruits!’

‘But ma, they haven’t come for sight-seeing,’ Taehyung comments, saving them from having to explain the honestly strange reason why they were here, ‘They’re here for the _you-know-what_.’

The couple laugh at Taehyung, ‘Of course of course, you young kids enjoy yourselves then! Dinner will be at 7 at the dining room!’

‘Your parents?’ Baekhyun asks, looking surprised as Taehyung shows them up to their rooms. Both Taehyung and Jungkook laugh at that.

‘No,’ Taehyung grins, ‘Our best friend’s parents, we practically grew up together so I call them both familiarly.’

‘I’ve been your best friend for ages, and you still make me formally bow to your parents,’ Baekhyun complains at Jongdae who sniggers.

‘The rooms aren’t very big,’ Jungkook begins apologetically.

‘That’s absolutely fine,’ Jongdae says dismissively before gesturing to all of them, ‘We’re vertically challenged.’

Neither of the two boys look like they don’t know whether to laugh or stay silent so instead politely change the subject with the subtlety of a thunder storm.

‘So- ghosts, am I right?’ Jungkook begins bravely, clapping his hands for effect and attempting to lean on the wall nonchalantly.

Minseok has to duck into his assigned room, face turning red from his efforts not to laugh out loud. The room is a nice clean, simple room. A small but comfortable looking low bed with what looked like hand-made mattresses and blankets rolled up to the side. A low bed-side table with lamp, extra sockets and plugs, and an electric kettle with two cups on a tray. There are rubber slippers on the bathroom mat and a quick look shows Minseok a small but clean toilet and shower area. Minseok remembers spying a local market across the street into this little town. They might need to get some small supplies.

He unpacks his stuff, mainly his equipment and by the time he’s done, Baekhyun pokes his head in.

‘Jungkook and Taehyung are gonna give us a short tour of the place, and take us to the greenhouse! We think we might do the interview _now_ with Jungkook and Taehyung, and scout places to put our cameras in tonight!’

‘Shouldn’t we not be going around at night?’ Minseok asks.

Baekhyun just grins, looking excited and nervous.

Minseok sighs.

This was going to be a long trip.

*

It was definitely much colder here than back in the city. It was also starting to get windy and Minseok is happy they all had the foresight to bring thick padded jackets and coats though it made carrying equipment a little tough. But for just the interview, Minseok brings only 2 cameras, a handful of coloured markers to note future camera spots, and several mics.

Jungkook and Taehyung, once they got over their shyness, were talkative and cheery. They walk them towards the greenhouse and Minseok takes a few clips here and there to potentially add into the episode. They had done a short introduction inside the car as they pulled into the town, with Baekhyun taking one of the GoPros. They made another short video with the owners of the motel, Mr. and Mrs. Park, who very sweetly cheered the show but with the wrong name.

‘It’s the thought that counts!’ Baekhyun had declared, while Jongdae turned pink trying not to laugh, his eyes twinkling.

When they walk past a house, Minseok feels, rather than hear, bells chiming.

He glances at the house, unsure if he was just imagining things. The moment he steps out of the shadow of the house, he notices with a startling realization, that his ears clear and open. He looks back, trying to scan the house as much as he could as he walked on.

‘Are you okay?’

Minseok is surprised to find the other boy, Taehyung, pausing to wait for him.

‘Oh yeah,’ Minseok smiles up, ‘Just got distracted.’

Taehyung gives him a curious look before accepting his answer and going on a long detailed lecture on when to pick strawberries for the perfect sweetness.

It’s almost 6 when they reach the greenhouse.

And Minseok hates the way his skin prickles.

Not because of the cold, or because of walking longer than he expected after driving for so long.

Baekhyun nervously smiles at his GoPro.

The entire area that consisted of the greenhouse is a series of long, tall, and neatly structured tarp-covered constructs. Minseok can see how it would be considered beautiful but honestly he can’t help but shudder at the chill this entire land was emitting. This was 10 times worse than Junmyeon’s childhood home.

‘That’s some really nice radishes!’ Jongdae exclaims loudly, walking over to said vegetable, piled up after being very recently harvested.

‘Ah yes! They’re very sweet too!’ Taehyung says delightfully, ‘Wait I think he’s here- JIMIN! JIMIN CAN I HAVE A RADISH!?’

In the distance you could spot a bunch of people still working on some parts of the field. They hear a voice from across the field yell back, ‘JUST ONE OR I’LL KILL YOU!’

‘YOU’RE ON TV! I LOVE YOU!’

‘NO I’M NOT! LOVE YOU TOO!’

Taehyung grins back at them while Jungkook covers his face with a hand.

Jongdae is cackling, having caught that all on his GoPro.

Minseok looks out into the field. The sun was just setting and it was casting a rosy golden light across the freshly dug up soil. But somehow the warmth of the setting sunlight wasn’t enough to really lighten up the greenhouse as they step closer and closer.

And somehow, the fully blossoming red camellias seem to add an even stronger terrifying aesthetic over the whole place.

‘Oh my god? This is sweet!’ Jongdae exclaims, munching on a bit of radish Taehyung had sliced off with a pocket knife.

Still munching on some freshly cut radish, an odd snack for sure, they set up a place to interview the two boys with the greenhouse land as backdrop. They garner some interest from the locals, who gather around slowly as they return home from their farming work.

To Minseok’s surprise Jungkook seems to know exactly how to work around a mic.

‘I’m a freshman in a film school,’ he confesses to Minseok, ‘I work here for the money during holidays.’

Minseok nods in understanding.

The interview goes well. Baekhyun introduces the story to the camera, reciting what they researched about the area, and some backstory into witchcraft and shamanism. Then Jungkook and Taehyung come in and explain their story. Jungkook does a good job narrating his story- it’s a little funny, but from his tone you can tell how genuinely disturbed he was with what he saw and found. But what’s surprising is Taehyung’s story.

As it turns out, Jungkook had found those eggs with Park Jimin, their other best friend who had been out in the radish field. Taehyung as it would turn out, not only worked at the farm full time, but his family owned the place.

‘Before the greenhouses were built and the park established, my family home used to be located a little way down there, past the white and green tarp,’ Taehyung points all the way towards the back. They would have to get him to show them all the main locations. ‘But we moved out before I was born and the house was torn down.’

Baekhyun and Jongdae both literally lean in, as though to hear everything as best as they could.

Minseok notices how some of the locals had gathered around. It almost feels like telling ghost stories around a small fire, or when the power used to go out when Minseok was a kid, and his parents would tell stories. Somehow, everyone being here, all light-hearted and genuine, made this whole thing comfortable for Minseok. Almost as though the people who lived _here _were counter-balancing the thing that existed in the greenhouse.

‘When my mum was pregnant with me,’ Taehyung describes this as he mimes a round belly, waddling a little in his seat, eyes a little big with earnestness. Minseok can see the way Baekhyun’s expression is incredibly endeared. ‘Her brother came to stay with her because my dad was away at the city during this part of the story. She was in her 8th month? Trimester?’

Both Jongdae and Baekhyun look at each other in confusion, as Taehyung looks at Jungkook for confirmation, before all four of them look at Minseok for the answer.

Minseok shrugs.

‘The third trimester you fool!’ a voice says from the gathering crowd. It sounded familiar so Minseok guesses this was the other best friend.

Taehyung grins at the direction of the voice while there’s some chuckling from the small group of people behind them.

‘Because this place was still wild, there were cases of coyotes and foxes,’ Taehyung explains, ‘And at one point, my parents kept chickens too, so they had built these tall walls around the house and the grounds, with glass bottle spikes around the top. There was only one way in, through a heavy and thick door that was padlocked from the inside, every night.’

Jongdae and Baekhyun nod to this, forgetting the cold wind as they listened intently. Minseok makes a mental note to tell them that the next interviews should be hosted indoors next time.

‘One night, when my mum was sleeping, she thought she heard someone calling her name.’ Taehyung narrates. ‘She thought it might have been her neighbour, who at the time, was also pregnant with her son. So she got up and looked out of the door and called back out. But she heard nothing and didn’t see anyone.’

‘Yeah! Because mum was in the hospital at the time! Giving birth to me!’ that voice calls out.

Both Jongdae and Baekhyun burst out into laughter as Taehyung shoos him away from where he was sitting, Jungkook miming at him to shut up.

‘So she goes back in, and falls asleep pretty quickly. But again, she hears someone calling her name, right at her ear. She’s a bit afraid at this point. She’s also annoyed because well- pregnant,’ he mimes again, ‘and tired- she’s also wondering if some kids were playing pranks on her.’

‘Don’t do this kids!’ Baekhyun says sternly towards the camera.

‘So she sits up and looks out of the window above her bed. She doesn’t see anything even though the moons out. My mum thinks she’s dreaming so she just goes back to sleep,’ Taehyung explains. ‘This time she doesn’t get to fall asleep when she hears someone call her name and her door slams shut. She gets up really quickly, shocked, because she didn’t know her door was even open. She calls her brother and he gets in there very quickly because well-‘ he mimes a belly again. ‘And she tells him what happened. He’s skeptical at first but tells her that if she wants, he can sleep in the same room.’

‘Good brother,’ Jongdae nods approvingly.

‘So he gets his bedding and that night nothing more happens. The following week, my uncle is a little hung-over, and my mum hates the smell of alcohol, so he slept in his original room that night. And the same thing happens. But this time, someone shakes my mum awake, and at the corner of her room, my mum sees a young woman standing there. She’s dressed in what my mum describes as very old style clothes that look worn. She just calls my mums name in a friendly manner and says ‘_it’s getting late! You should go soon!’_ and walks to the door, opens it, and leaves the bedroom. My mum of course freaks out, thinking someone got in. My uncle, though hung-over, is sober enough to get to my mum. They search the house and the garden outside but no one is there. The gate is still locked up.’

Baekhyun visibly shivers and it’s not because it’s cold.

‘This happens a few times-‘

‘-a f_ew times?’_ Baekhyun blanches.

‘-and one night, my mum’s shaken awake and it’s 3 other girls this time. They’re not friendly and cheerful anymore- but they seem afraid, and they tell my mum the same thing ‘_you should go soon’_. And my mum is really tired and annoyed, so she tells them to leave.’

Baekhyun mimics the “white guy blinking” meme so perfectly Minseok _knows _people are going to comment.

‘But before she can say anything more, or call for her brother, someone knocks on the front door. And then the 3 girls vanish.’ Taehyung is an incredible story teller. Also his voice was perfect for this. All of the townspeople were engrossed in this story, which Minseok is sure they’ve all heard many times. ‘Then all the doors in the house slam open and shut several times- my uncle freaks out and rushes to my mum to check on her. The slamming stops but there’s still knocking on the door. My mum was expecting my dad to be back sometime that week. And for a moment she wonders if its him. But my uncle is really suspicious and he tells my mum that he’ll go check the door.’

Jongdae nods approvingly, his eyebrows furrowing as he listens to this story.

‘There’s no window that really looks out to the front porch area, so my uncle has to open the door to see who’s there,’ Taehyung explains, miming a little with his hands, ‘And when he opens it, there’s this incredibly old woman, back super hunched, covered in layers and layers of fabric. My uncle says she was incredibly stinky, so much so it stung his eyes. My uncle was both mad and afraid and he yelled at her to leave. My mum can see her from the hallway and she’s terrified. Like, how did this old woman get in? And the old woman points at my mum, and refuses to move. My uncle said he had this strange fear- like he knew he shouldn’t touch her. So he shuts the door, grabs one of the rakes he had brought in to fix, saying he’ll use that to push her out. He tells my mum to shut the door behind him once he gets the old woman off the porch and to only open it after he gets back. So my mum stands behind my uncle as he opens it and the old woman is there, trying to touch my mum. My uncle loses it, basically, and pushes and shoves this woman away. He said he was so afraid he wasn’t even thinking straight. The gate was still locked, and my uncle had to unlock the padlock and shove the old woman out before he locked it shut.’

Baekhyun’s eyes are incredibly wide.

Minseok’s skin hasn’t stopped crawling. He doesn’t want to stare directly at the boy, but instead chooses to look at him through the camera, studying Taehyung carefully.

‘After that, my brother called his other friends and they camped out at the house, and my mum went to stay with her neighbour until my dad came back. My dad didn’t really believe what happened, but knew that if this was _this _stressful for my mum, he should move her out. So they tore the house down, and the government wanted to use the land for this greenhouse project,’ Taehyung gestures behind him. ‘We’ve moved down town, a little past the market area now.’

He smiles brightly, as if he hadn’t just given Baekhyun nightmares for weeks. Even Jongdae looks disturbed at this story.

Minseok has to clear his throat to signal to the two of them to continue.

‘Right- so that’s- right,’ Baekhyun stammers.

‘Well, we’ll be back for the tour tomorrow, and some other interviews of the people who have worked in the greenhouse!’ Jongdae smiles at the camera before turning to Jungkook and Taehyung, ‘Thank you both for sharing your experiences!’

As they pack up for the evening, because Baekhyun would not be persuaded to step foot into the greenhouse after hearing everything Taehyung had to say, Minseok takes a moment to study Taehyung.

Because after hearing that story, Minseok _knows_. There was something that dwelled here. Something that was possibly created, or summoned, or accidently called out. And it had been fed, or kept, by a powerful shaman, trapped in the land.

Minseok isn’t sure what to make of the young women Taehyung’s mum saw and how they might have played into this story. But they were trying to warn her, or protect her.

Because that strange old woman figure hadn’t been pointing at her, hadn’t tried to touch _her_, but had tried to reach for Taehyung.

*

minghaoFrogagenda: _I am cRYING THIS EPISODE IS SO TERRIFYING AND IT’S ONLY PART 1??????????????????_

Give Finn and Poe the Gay Story They Deserve: _not to be distracted from this terrifying episode but Taehyung needs to get into the audio book scene because he could read me the telephone book and it would still be the best thing ive listened to_

Come Fries With Me: _bad idea watching this alone, at 2 AM. I just wanted to procrastinate from my thesis please I didn’t ask for this trauma I’m suing #erikyoongiguess_

serendipity_calico: _mum dad you had _ONE _job!!!!! _

SilverInk: _I know I say this every episode bUT THIS WAS THE BEST EPISODE I CAN’T WAIT FOR PART TWO #iambothsoondoongianderikyoong??_

Baguette Au Pain: _yo hold up- no one messes with eggs in rituals that’s some voodoo shit y’all need to leave, take those cute boys wth you and YEET #erikyoong_

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _it’s so weird seeing tall people in this episode wtf_

GrimArtandStuff: SHUT THE FRONT DOOR _I genuinely think this is a legitimately cursed place I’m not even kidding please PLEASE get yourselves blessed after this or something, holy water, salt, I don’t know something!!! _

Indigo_Salad: _how do I adopt Jungkook, every time he smiles I just *clenches fist* I will literally fight every demon for this tall boy_

THISISNOTSPARTA: _eggs are commonly used for exorcist practices I don’t think they’re there for a specifically ominous reason but rather for protection!! Pls dont disturb the eggs!! The reason why it had hair in it is because the exorcism works!! Its drawing out whatever is living there!_

Spotlight.Naammon: _I DON’T EVEN LIKE SCARY STUFF BUT I CAN’T STOP WATCHING I’M GONNA HAVE NIGHTMARES I CAN’T LOOK AT EGGS ANYMORE_

Capitalism Will Kill Us All: _this is It ™ this is the episode, I can feel it in my bones, they’re gonna definitely capture an FBA or something that will make me regret ever following them for comedic reasons because that demon-old woman wasn’t pointing at the mum in the story- she was pointing at Taehyung I KNOW THIS_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Notes)  
So  
Black magic  
Idk how many of you believe in it  
And I do believe in it to an extent  
Minseok’s story comes from my mum who experienced this when she was pregnant with me  
The eggs, the slamming doors, the giggling girls, the strange hunching woman inside a sealed high-walled garde. It’s all things that have happened to my mum  
I hope  
It isn’t TOO bad or creepy  
So uh  
Sorry  
Also I’ll admit I editted this update out of pettiness in a way  
Because this update is dedicated to that wonderful person who thought that messaging me incredibly dumb accusations and channeling intense 2015-2016 crazed vibes was a good idea. This BTS cameo is dedicated ESPECIALLY to you, you’re most welcome. Please enjoy. The next chapter too. ^_^


	8. Unsolved Vlogs Season 2 Episode 3: The Greenhouse Hauntings Pt. 2

‘Hi, uh, my name is Park Jimin and I’m uh, a full-time employee here. I’ve worked here, officially for 2 years now, and unofficially since I could walk! But I was still paid! I mean, it’s not child labour- I wasn’t forced to or anything like that- but it was fun! No it really was- wait, uh, I’m sorry but can I start over again? Sorry!’

*

‘Hello, I am Manager Yoo, and I oversee the greenhouse activities, maintenance such as pest control, water schedule, harvest schedule, planting schedule, plant breeding, and other things. I’ve been the manager for over 15 years now. I grew up in this town, and I also take care of the sales for our fruits down at the orchards, we are especially famous for our apples!’

*

‘Nice to meet you, my name is Sang Jiyoung and I’m the assistant manager to Manager Yoo. I’ve been working here for 8 years with my husband-‘

‘Nice to meet you, I am head gardener Sang Byunjoon, I’ve been working here for 7 years now.’

*

‘Hello, my name is Go Jongsoo, I am uh, a gardener here, at uh, this place. It’s been 4 years since I’ve worked here. I also help Manager Yoo with plant husbandry. It’s nice to meet you.’

*

Baekhyun very clearly does not want to sleep alone.

It might be the fact that he stuck very close to Minseok on their way back, practically glued to his back making it difficult for Minseok to carry the equipment on his back.

Or possibly how Baekhyun furtively followed people to the washroom, holding in his pee so that he wouldn’t be alone.

Or how he laughed a little too hard at Mr. Park’s jokes about the odd sounds that sometimes ripped through the night.

Or mostly mainly because of how he was “testing” out Minseok’s sink because his wasn’t working well, apparently, as he barged in with is toiletry bag, eyes just a tad bit wide, smile slightly stiff.

‘Do you want to sleep here with me?’ Minseok asks, tired and full from the delicious and hearty stew Mrs. Park cooked up for the guests. There were the only ones at the hotel for that night, so Mrs. Park had served them all massive proportions. Jongdae had been excessively enthusiastic about the fish stew, discussing recipes.

‘I uh- I don’t want to impose hyung,’ Baekhyun’s face takes on the kicked-puppy look (aptly coined by Jongdae who was not so immune to it as he claimed to be).

‘It’s okay- I’ll go down and tell Mrs. Park that we’re moving the mattress over to my room,’ Minseok says with a short yawn. ‘I don’t think we’re not allowed to do it- but just in case.’

Baekhyun looks like he’s about to cry as he thanks Minseok, sprinting out to his own room next door.

Minseok makes his way down and instead of coming across Mrs. Park near the small registry at the end of the hallway, finds their son, having difficulty with his very thick coat.

‘Oh! Hi!’ the young boy greets, wide and bright smile turning his eyes into slits. ‘I’m Park Jimin! I’m a massive fan!’

‘Oh- I uh- it’s not me-‘ Minseok begins, a little flustered.

‘No!’ Jimin exclaims, shaking his head violently, ‘I can’t imagine what it’s like to be the cameraman in all of your episodes! It must be terrifying!’

Terrifying in ways that Jimin was probably not aware of but Minseok nods nonetheless.

‘That’s so cool!’ Jimin grins, finally winning his battle with his long thick coat. ‘Ah- are you looking for ma? She’s in the kitchen!’

‘Oh yeah- I just wanted to ask if it was okay we take one of the mattresses from another room and take it over to mine?’ Minseok asks.

‘Yeah no problem!’ Jimin throws up a thumb’s up. ‘I’ll come do it!’

‘Oh that’s no-‘ Minseok says at once but Jimin is brightly waving aside Minseok’s words and is already halfway up the stairs, taking two steps at a time.

Minseok suddenly feels very old and tired.

Mrs. Park pokes her head out, clearly notified by their voices.

‘Oh! I knew it!’ she exclaims, ‘It’s much colder out here, city folks often need more blankets when they stop by here during the winter.’

‘Ah, it’s not that- I just wanted to know if it was okay if my friend stays with me for the night?’

Mrs. Park laughs, ‘He’s a bit scared isn’t he? I was hoping the stories didn’t put him off too much.’

‘Oh, he was very scared, but he likes it?’

‘We all know someone like that,’ Mrs. Park says very meaningfully.

Minseok is not exactly sure he wants to know what she meant by this but nods nonetheless.

*

‘So um- I guess I’ll start with my first real weird experience? I just used to, uh, chalk it up, to my imagination, or being tired, the usual, ehe. But when I look back at it now, with what I saw with Kookie, then I guess, definitely, something was wrong.

I think one of the first things I experienced that was strange or weird was when I was younger actually- around 9 years old I guess? I remember trying to help out Taehyung and his dad closer to the orchards down that way. Taehyung and I were allowed to take apples for ourselves and we were running down the stone wall towards the well over there to keep our apples. We were excited because we thought we would exchange the apples for some candy at the local store, so we were really careful with them. Taehyungie said he would go get the last apple so I stayed with our small half dozen apples. There were a bunch of farmers and workers working around the place, and the well is a common place to come and stop for some water or a break to wash off or something. I remember getting a bucket out to wash our apples, and in the puddle around me, I realized I saw the reflections of a few people. I ignored it because, again, I thought they were workers coming around to get water. At one point I look around behind me because I was wondering why no one was moving. But no one was standing behind me. Taehyungie came back and we left- but ever since that first time, I keep catching reflections of people near the well. I don’t like looking at the water anymore- I kinda realized I did this without really thinking about it just last year.’

‘Have you looked at the water near the well recently?’

‘I tried- but I’ll be honest my memory freaked me out, and it was not just one time, but a few times, so I kinda don’t want to.’

‘Understandable.’

‘Reasonable.’

‘One of the other things that I guess really made me not want to stay here after dark happened when I was teenager. The greenhouse wasn’t as big at that time, and it was only just starting out as a sort of destination location. I was waiting for Taehyungie outside right over there by the partition there- it was starting to get dark and I remember feeling fidgety because there were a lot of mosquitoes. And it’s not there anymore, but there was a shed like structure next to the partition, and it had a small window that had a very shoddy piece of glass over it that rattled with the wind. It was really hot that evening, and there was no wind. But the glass in the shed started rattling. I ignored it at first, because I didn’t realize it until after a while. I was surprised? So I looked around at the window but nothing was moving- and there was no wind either. I thought I was imagining things so I put my back to it again. Then the sound started almost immediately and I turned back as quickly as I could. At this point I thought Taehyungie was playing a trick on me so I yelled- haha, I yelled pretty loudly like _stop playing around let’s just go already I’m hungry _or something like that. The rattling stopped and I thought Taehyungie was gonna come out. I heard shuffling inside the shed and I was waiting for Taehyungie to exit but I noticed that the shed door was locked. This massive padlock was hung over the latch. And I was worried, I wondered if someone was locked in, and just a few weeks before that, my mum had a heatstroke and I had seen how weak she was. I wasn’t scared, like, it was ghosts or something, but I just was worried that maybe someone had collapsed or something. I tried to undo the lock but I didn’t have the key, so I thought I’d run to get Manager Yoo and I turn around to run and the rattling starts again. So I yell ‘I’ll come back with Manager Yoo, just stay there,’ and I ran. I brought Manager Yoo and he was of course concerned. But when he opened the shed, no one was inside. I was given a massive scolding about lying, but I uh- I cried really hard, haha, and Manager Yoo I guess he felt bad- and uh, he still kinda does because he went through something similar too, hehehe.’

*

By the time he’s upstairs, Jimin is very enthusiastically pulling out a rolled up mattress from Baekhyun’s room, talking a mile an hour. Jongdae is there too, looking amused but not teasing Baekhyun. Instead he’s also carrying his own mattress.

‘-my favourite episode from Season 1 was when you covered the haunted penthouse!’ Jimin is saying, eyes bright with excitement. ‘And from this season it was the mansion! Such a cool house but I would never live in it even if it came free!’

Minseok can heartily agree to this.

Baekhyun and Jimin catch sight of him as he walks towards them.

‘Sleepover!’ Baekhyun exclaims, ‘Jongdae was jealous and didn’t want to miss out on a sleepover!’

‘I totally was!’ Jongdae adds before turning to Jimin and saying, ‘I know this was already discussed in the emails between us and Jungkook, but I just want to make sure that you’re okay with interview for tomorrow?’

‘Yeah it’s cool!’ Jimin replies as he sets the mattress down in Minseok’s room. ‘This area has quite a lot of stories- like the one Taehyungie was telling you about earlier today.’

‘That’s great, more content,’ Baekhyun smiles though it’s as though he’s telling himself this.

They bid Jimin goodnight and the cheery boy waves energetically at them before bounding down the steps, two at a time.

‘Ah! To be young,’ Jongdae says sagely as he closes the door.

‘Again- I think he’s just barely 3 years younger than you,’ Minseok comments dryly.

‘Youth,’ Jongdae hums thoughtfully with a sage-like attitude.

The lights are out and only the light of Jongdae’s phone is faintly illuminating one side of the room.

‘You know I think-‘ Baekhyun begins suddenly.

‘Hm?’ Jongdae hums before dropping his phone to the side, turning over on his mattress.

‘I think this one- these stories. I think there’s something to it.’

‘Okay,’ Jongdae yawns.

‘Taehyung’s story freaked me out- don’t tell me it didn’t scare you guys either.’

‘It was a very good story,’ Jongdae mumbles out sleepily, ‘Can’t say it was made-up or anything. The whole town seems to know the story.’

‘…it’s- I dunno- unsettling I guess.’

‘Hope we can prove you right,’ Jongdae says almost inaudibly.

Jongdae’s breathing evens out in a few minutes. Minseok is about to fall asleep too when he hears Baekhyun whisper, ‘Hope we’re wrong.’

*

Everything feels much better the next day, in broad sunlight, temperatures much more bearable, with a stomach full of delicious breakfast. They’re going over their itinerary for the day as they go over their equipment. The greenhouse wasn’t far but going to and fro to retrieve equipment would take time and no one wants to bother with that sort of thing. Their batteries, back-up batteries, and every sort of chargeable device is fully charged and juiced. Minseok makes sure to attach the wind muff around every microphone they had on hand.

Right before they leave, Minseok’s phone alerts him of a message. It’s from his aunt who simply tells him to be careful and to not disturb the eggs if he comes across them. He had needed to vent about the situation to someone, and his aunt was more than happy to listen.

She also tells him that she would look into the whole story, and to tell her every detail later that night.

‘Okay so we have 3 night-vision cameras, and two static cams,’ Jongdae reads out. ‘I’m also adding this extra extension cord just in case.’

‘Jungkook said we could use the generator from the greenhouse to charge our stuff if we have the adaptors,’ Baekhyun adds, holding up an oblong adaptor, ‘This should be enough?’

Minseok nods in agreement.

‘Okay I guess we’re good to go,’ Jongdae says as he stands up. ‘Oh! Jungkook and Taehyung are here- they’re downstairs.’

Minseok stands up as well to look out of the window and the two tall teenagers are indeed standing outside, talking amongst themselves.

‘Really wish I was little taller,’ Baekhyun grumbles, ‘Next time we have someone over for an episode, can we please make sure they’re shorter than us.’

‘That’s a _tall _order,’ Jongdae says, pleased with himself while Baekhyun groans in response. ‘Besides, god made you short because you’d be insufferable if you were tall.’

‘I am offended that you’re right,’ Baekhyun sighs before adding, ‘Minseok-hyung was meant to be short. Imagine his power if he was tall?’

Jongdae shudders comically, shooting Minseok a wink, ‘The realest threat.’

Minseok simply sighs in response.

Jungkook and Taehyung greet them brightly when they exit the hotel, instantly helping them with their equipment. On their way to the greenhouse, Jungkook walks next to Minseok, asking him questions about the equipment. It’s nice, talking to the young boy about cameras, mics, editing software. Minseok promises to give Jungkook some good YouTube links for tutorials and reviews that had helped him previously. There’s laughter from the front, where Jongdae and Baekhyun have clearly hit it off with Taehyung.

‘Do you believe in ghosts?’ Jungkook asks after a short silence.

‘I mean- it depends?’ Minseok hopes it’s a good enough answer.

Jungkook accepts this answer thoughtfully.

‘I never believed in ghosts or spirits, but I guess sometimes, it’s the only answer to something. Right?’

‘It can feel like that sometimes,’ Minseok replies just as Baekhyun yells from the front, ‘GUYS! STRIKE A POSE!’

Minseok doesn’t have time to do anything other than look surprised as Baekhyun’s phone shutter goes off.

The three at the front are doing some ridiculous pose while Jungkook and Minseok are in the background, eyes wide and expressions confused.

‘You guys don’t mind if we put this up?’ Baekhyun asks, flashing his phone screen before them.

Taehyung shakes his head and Jungkook just shrugs with a small embarrassed smile.

‘So the plan today is to interview the workers at the greenhouse, and Taehyung you said that some of the elders in the community want to share some stories about the land?’ Jongdae asks as they approach the greenhouse.

Taehyung nods, looking excited, ‘Yeah! They were asking about why and who you guys are and stuff like that! And we explained it and they said this was a great time to preserve some of the past in this cool way! I think they’re also excited to be on “TV”.’

Baekhyun and Jongdae chuckle at that. But Minseok is too busy mentally preparing himself for the icy cold that seeped out of the greenhouse the closer they got to it. It’s the same as yesterday, but somewhat more bearable in the morning, with many people walking around and about.

Minseok had made sure that their schedule would end around the same time as the greenhouse closed for the day. He didn’t need Baekhyun and Jongdae wandering about this piece of land after dark.

*

‘Kids and young folk like to make up stories, and there’s always something going on about the greenhouse in general. My family has lived in this town for nearly 3 generations now, and we’re aware of the stories- stuff that’s been handed down by families over the fireplace in winters. But that’s all they were to me really- stories, exciting things to discuss as kids; I never thought I would genuinely believe any of what was going on I’ll be honest.’

‘What did you experience that made you change your mind?’

‘I’m not saying I believe in ghosts, but there’s a lot of history- small history, nothing great like what you read in the newspapers. But we have a lot of history here. Lots of old families still stay here, and they don’t like to spend time at the greenhouse even during daylight. We always thought it was some nonsense that the rich believed in, or very religious folk lived with. But just over a decade ago I was checking up on our evening primroses to take pictures for our website which had just opened. My wife bugged me to take some of the pictures so of course I went. Back 10 years ago, the cameras were not so great, but what I had came with a flash setting.’

‘Oh fuck-‘

‘Shh!’

‘The evening primroses grow inside the inner greenhouses, and this was almost 7 in the evening I guess- but the sun was already down, so the flowers were blooming. I switched on the lights, but at the time, we didn’t have the budget or the technology to really allow good lighting, not unless they’re in the specialist greenhouse for some of the more rare flowers and shrubs we’re growing. I set up my camera- and this kind was the type you had to look through the viewfinder rather than have a panel- uh, display, at the back. So I started taking some pictures. A lot of them actually because my wife is specific about what type of pictures we put up.

As I looked through the camera to take a wide-shot of the greenhouse floors, I thought I saw a few people standing outside the greenhouse, leaning against the walls. I called for them to step back, because I mean, greenhouses aren’t always the strongest. They moved away and I went back to taking pictures, and again, they were there. I was mad, my temper got the better of me and I yelled loudly. But they didn’t move, instead they pressed in even more. I thought Taehyung and the other kids were fooling around- so I stepped out and I was going to scold them, even though I should have realized the figures were much too big to be the kids, there was no one outside. I was frustrated and I went back in to switch off the lights- and just as I did, a whole row of figures were standing at the very end of the inner greenhouse- _inside_. I yelled, and switched on the lights again, but no one was there. My assistant manager at the time came running because of how much I was yelling. I said we should call the local police because clearly there were people out here, messing with us and potentially trying to vandalize. But- but I will never forget what my assistant said to me that night.’

‘What did they say?’

‘He said ‘_I’ve seen them too, don’t confront them, or they will follow you.’_’

*

‘Okay so let’s set up the cameras,’ Baekhyun announces bravely, hands on hips, looking over the wide piece of land. ‘According to what we’ve been hearing, the 2 inner greenhouses, the 4 corners, the well, the Easter orchard walls, the electric room, and the storage room outside of greenhouse 5 are hotspots.’

‘Is there anything I can do?’ Jungkook asks eagerly, ‘I’d like to help.’

‘Thank you,’ Minseok smiles up at the tall teen. ‘We’ll need to keep these charged throughout the night, and we have these cables and extension cords-‘ Baekhyun holds said cords up.

‘I got it!’ Jungkook picks up the cables, ‘I know where all the outlets are, I can help plot out the cords.’

‘That’s great- come on, I’ll show you our set-up,’ Baekhyun says eagerly, ‘And tell me about your classes!’

Jungkook, flustered but eager to help, guides Baekhyun towards the outlets.

‘I’m afraid I have to go attend to my chores,’ Taehyung is saying apologetically, smiling sheepishly.

‘That’s completely fine!’ Jongdae says reassuringly, ‘Thank you again for helping us arrange this with Manager Yoo, as well as getting him to agree to an interview!’

‘No not at all!’ Taehyung grins down at them, ‘This is fun!’

Jongdae waves as Taehyung lops off, hair bouncing under the strong morning sunlight as he bounds towards Jimin who waves at them vigorously, a sort of yelled muffled greeting directed at them. Taehyung bodily picks up his best friend, twirling him around before practically throwing him away. Jimin chases his taller best friend, revenge glinting in his eyes even from this distance.

‘Ah- adorable,’ Jongdae says fondly.

Minseok makes sure to capture all of this in one of the hand-held GoPros.

‘This is a really beautiful establishment,’ Jongdae comments, looking around as he unfurls a length of wire. ‘Don’t you just wanna retire to a nice town like this and wake up every morning to a clear non-dusty sky, green-blue hills rolling around, orchards and farm land around?’

‘You’ll have to work to make your keep,’ Minseok snorts.

‘You don’t think I’d be a good farmer? Hyung! I’m offended!’ Jongdae exclaims indignantly, in his outfit that screams inconvenient for a farming-town-city-fashion, right down to his white Nikes. Minseok pointedly stares at them, making Jongdae whine.

‘I think I’m gonna gain weight in these 3 days here,’ Minseok groans, still full from their very heavy very organic breakfast.

‘Tell me about it- I love it,’ Jongdae grins, ‘God, can I kidnap Mrs. Park, her stew is to die for, I would _fish _so that she could make me that stew.’

‘I don’t think Jimin would appreciate that- or _your _mum.’

‘Okay- maybe I just borrow her to cook that stew like, once a week or something,’ Jongdae smiles dreamily, ‘Such a wonderful stew.’

‘Can we please set up,’ Minseok playfully kicks at the younger.

‘Aye aye Captain,’ Jongdae salutes solemnly.

*

‘This is something we both experienced. And after that, we talked about it, and realized we both experienced things, but separately.’

‘We also heard a few stories here and there, but nothing like- nothing terribly ominous. We thought it was just for fun.’

‘I was used to hearing footsteps behind me- but I thought it was just my own echoes, or sound travelling strangely- I saw on television that sound waves travel differently geographically. We’re in a valley, so I thought maybe someone walking down the street somehow sounded like it was right behind me.’

‘I kept losing my gloves, rags- small utensils. I didn’t mind it at much- but after a year or so, and Manager Yoo had to come to me and literally give me a talk on expenditure did I realize it wasn’t actually normal to lose so many things all the time.’

‘But the most disturbing thing I guess, was about 3 years ago right?’

‘Yes, 3 years ago.’

‘It was spring, but we still had some frost.’

‘Yes- and we had a few fan heaters, but they were old, and though I had asked manager Yoo to invest in some new ones, we were still short of budget.’

‘The old fan heaters we had were faulty- and would switch off and on by themselves.’

‘We’ve actually had them fixed by our local mechanic shop now, so they’re fully functional now, but they would just, shut off by themselves.’

‘This wasn’t good for our orange tree saplings- so we had to maintain a nice warm draft- just enough so that the frost won’t take hold.’

‘I said I would go check on them during the night to Manager Yoo, and Jiyoung said she would stay with me.’

‘It’s best to have two people regardless-‘

‘-so we put timers to go and check every 2 hours. We stayed at the main reception area with the gift shop to keep warm ourselves. If you can see for yourselves, the chairs here are pretty comfortable too.’

‘The saplings were near the Eastern orchard wall- and it’s around 10 minutes from here. But the fan heaters were plugged into the generator near the electric-room towards the south of the land. You can yell and hear each other very well. We tried just to make sure!’

‘We had strong flashlights and we thought that would be enough for the night. For the first few trips it was all right. The fan heater had only switched off once, and Jiyoung went to the generator to switch it off and restart it after I disconnected the heater.’

‘Then around 2 in the morning, it was very dark, no moon out, we made our way back to check on the fan heater again. We were both very sleepy, and it was starting to get very chilly inside here too. We thought we would stay inside the greenhouse by the fan heater to regain some warmth before going back.’

‘It was switched off again, so Jiyoung went down to the generator to switch it off. I waited for her confirmation to switch off the heater to restart it. She hadn’t left for more than 20 seconds and I heard her yell that it was switched off. I found this odd, but I thought maybe she hurried because it was cold. So I switch on the heater and the back sort of blows up.’

‘And when I was close to the generators, I thought I saw a figure just a little out of the light of the electric room. I quickly aimed my flashlight and I stopped walking. Sometimes you had drunks wandering around the street, and there was that one time a drunk man had fallen into the orchard sometime back. But it just- it just _ran_\- I don’t know how to describe it, it was so strange and I was immediately terrified. Just then I heard something explode, and I immediately ran back to where Byunjoon was. And as I ran, I heard, so clearly, footsteps faster than my own, running behind me and getting closer. I panicked. I was so afraid, I didn’t even realize I dropped my flashlight I was so terrified. I rushed into the greenhouse I think I was calling for Byunjoon, and Byunjoon was just stepping out because there was so much smoke inside.’

‘She was pale- so pale, I was instantly worried of course- I was also confused she sounded so afraid. She said someone was chasing her and I thought- I didn’t know what to think, and I went back out with her and her torchlight which was on the floor, still rolling a little so clearly illuminated a figure. We both saw it-‘

‘You _both _saw it?’

‘We did- and I – I was frightened- but I was more worried for Jiyoung and I thought some mad man had entered the greenhouses to terrorize us. So I know that we still had some shovels inside the greenhouse behind us, so we backed carefully, still looking at this figure-‘

‘-it was _still there?!’_

‘And I told Jiyoung to get the shovels from inside so we could arm ourselves. I then called Manager Yoo to tell him someone was inside the compound. Just as Jiyoung stepped out the flashlight she dropped switched off and these _heavy _footsteps started making its way towards us- they just-‘

‘-I was screaming I know I was- I just pulled Byunjoon as hard as I could and we ran.’

‘Manager Yoo nearly had to break down the door before we opened it for him. We told him what happened, and we called the police, but nothing was ever concluded.’

‘How are _you both still working here?!’_

*

‘Fuck, I am so happy we’re not spending the night here,’ Baekhyun says fervently.

‘Still- walking around the compound for 10 minutes each sounds good enough considering everything we’ve heard today,’ Jongdae shrugs, securing Baekhyun’s scarf around his throat.

Minseok would rather they didn’t spend any time after dark but this was part of their show, and even if Baekhyun was losing blood from his face, he was adamant in following through their set criteria. Minseok is just happy they're not spending a night.

This was their last night, and they would be leaving around 4 in the afternoon tomorrow. All of the interviews were done for the day, and now it was just this final part where Jungkook and Taehyung would take them on a detailed tour and then leave them to their own devices after closing hours. Manager Yoo was a nice elderly man with a calm air to him. And hearing him speak of his experience nearly sent Baekhyun running out. Even Jongdae was increasingly disturbed by all of the stories they were hearing. 

‘You know I just really hate the sound of running footsteps that are like- disproportionate- you know what I mean?’ Baekhyun whines lowly as they wait for Jungkook and Taehyung to approach them. Jimin is yet again in the background, waving violently in farewell.

‘Ah- Jimin’s not going to be joining us?’ Jongdae asks, ignoring Baekhyun’s complaints and worries as the two young teens are within earshot.

‘Yeah he’s got someone to woo at the mechanics,’ Taehyung rolls his eyes while Jungkook snorts.

‘Ah- to be young and in love,’ Jongdae trills, elbowing Baekhyun, ‘If he gives them those radishes from yesterday, pretty sure they’ll agree to a date. Or better yet, that fish stew-‘

‘Yes! Ma’s fish stew is to _die _for!’ Taehyung exclaims emphatically, jumping a little and making Jungkook had to hold him down a little. God, where did they get all of this energy from, Minseok is exhausted from the work _and _the increasingly oppressive air.

As the young people would put it, this place did not pass any vibe check at all.

‘All the cameras are set up, and we’ll switch them all on as we walk past them,’ Baekhyun nods. Minseok takes this as cue to start up his camera. Jungkook checks on his and Taehyung’s mics, getting a nod of approval from Minseok before he counts down quietly.

‘Three…two…one!’

*

‘My story actually, haha, it happened almost immediately during my first week. It was building up throughout the week, and I thought, hey maybe this was some hazing thing? I didn’t know what to think, but I just ignored it.’

‘Things like what?’

‘When I was working a little late in some of the greenhouses, people would walk past really close to the plastic walls, or I’d see their hands pushing hard against the plastic. I just thought- well, this was just some prank.’

‘People, please never prank others like this!’

‘So I thought after the 3rd day I’d tell Manager Yoo- but he was going through a stressful time- his daughter was having some complications with her birth, and I didn’t want to bother him. So I just decided to ignore stuff.’

‘But she’s okay?’

‘Yes! Perfectly healthy baby girl!’

‘Aww! We love happy baby stories!’

‘On Friday night, I was getting ready to go back home, but I couldn’t find my phone. I checked everywhere and couldn’t find it on me or in my bag. I asked the others but no one saw my phone. So I retraced my steps, and I realized I had stopped by to pick up some fertilizer at the storage room near greenhouse 5.’

‘Oh god I already hate this story so much.’

‘Sorry about him, please continue.’

‘So I made my way to greenhouse five. It’s probably the furthest from this spot- it’s where we normally grow our cactus and other hot-house plants. It was fine, it wasn’t dark yet but the sun had already gone down, and I was just, zoning out I guess. There used to be a long line of shrubs about this high- kinda just below my height in front of this area. And as I walked past, I saw a pair of bare feet walking towards me from the opposite way. I was, kinda confused? I knew that at the time, some of the younger kids liked walking around barefoot but that was normally by the well. Also the feet looked old, the skin around the edges of the feet were cracked and a little caked in mud. So I called out. The feet stopped and I don’t know why- but I stopped too. Then the feet took one step towards me. And I- I just stepped back. This happened for a few steps and I’m kinda- kinda frustrated? I’m a little annoyed too. So I just kinda angrily shoved through the shrubs but- but no one is there. I was- and am still very sure, that it was not a trick of my eye. So I just- I just ignore it, and I make my way to the back of the greenhouse to the storage room. The only entrance into this storage room is through greenhouse 5, it’s at the very end. So I get there, and I find my phone on the work bench. As I leave the storage room I hear knocking behind me. I don’t think, I don’t even pause to think how odd it is and I turn.

So the thing is, as you’ll see later, the storage room has some pretty tall metal shelves, and they’re- you can access them from any side, there’s no back to it. And they’re normally pretty stuffed because we lack organization here, haha.

I’m at the doorway and when I turn, I see the same pair of feet behind the second shelf. I also see some frayed edges of fabric? It’s shuffling around, and I just- I just start moving backwards, I don’t know how anyone would have gotten inside without me knowing or even seeing them while I was inside and it started shuffling towards the edge of the shelf and I just immediately turned around and _ran_\- when I ran out I bumped straight into Mr. Kim and Taehyung. They were very nice, and helped calm me down. They were looking for me because they were trying to invite me to a dinner to welcome me. Mr. Kim noticed I hadn’t closed the storage room and was worried about the temperature inside the greenhouse but I was- I was hysterical I guess, it was like all the fear in me just _gushed _out. Mr. Kim took me back and Taehyung went in to close the doors.’

‘Have you experienced anything of the sort since?’

‘No- nothing to be honest- just sometimes it’s like I’m being watched- or something is behind somewhere but it’s not- that was the only time.’

*

Jongdae is wheezing silently as they listen to Baekhyun squeaking throughout the distance in the greenhouse compounds.

‘Ah, always so good,’ Jongdae wipes at his eyes.

When Baekhyun gets back, he’s so pale he’s almost transparent.

‘Please- I just- I just want to go back to Mr and Mrs. Park’s hotel and just- just cry-‘ Baekhyun manages to get out. Jongdae fondly hugs him, rubbing his cheeks to get warmth into them and giving him his own hot-pack. Minseok takes one last footage of the greenhouse compound before he aims at Jongdae and Baekhyun again.

‘Well- that’s it for this episode and I- we heard a lot, saw a lot, god we _heard _a lot-‘

‘_You _heard a lot. I had a nice stroll through some beautiful flowers.’

There’s a strange shuffling sound, and Minseok’s ears pick up on it at once, the hair on the back of his neck prickling. He can’t hear what the two are talking about, only keys in on the footsteps making its way towards him.

It’s then he realizes that he’s still within the greenhouse compound, while Jongdae and Baekhyun were outside of it.

The footsteps stop right behind him, something large pauses behind him, something oddly blurred, pressed down, but large.

Something cold touches his back and Minseok freezes.

‘You guys done?’

Jungkook appears, and there’s an arm wrapping around Minseok, pulling him out of the compound, out of the freezing snare, and into the street which was brighter than Minseok had initially thought.

He realizes he’s sweating.

‘It’s time for stew!’ Taehyung says next to him, arm still around Minseok, ‘And if you thought the fish stew was good, wait till you try the pork stew!’

*

They stop at the local market to pick up some dessert- it’s mainly for Jimin and their other friends who were going to come for dinner. Minseok stands outside the shop, lower back still cold.

Minseok’s mind is reeling.

There was something so _putrid _about what had been there- something degraded, something so horribly _wrong_. Minseok feels the desperate need to shower. He looks inside the brightly lit 7-eleven and feels a little better at how Baekhyun had regained all of his colour, laughing at something Taehyung was saying as Jungkook inhales an ice-cream cone whole while Jongdae watches with a combination of mild disgust and admiration.

‘Excuse me.’

Minseok jolts, turning around and stepping aside to let a middle-aged man, pushing someone on a wheelchair through.

‘Oh I’m so sorry-‘

There is a very old woman in the wheelchair and as they’re pushing past, for some reason, Minseok looks down and-

His chest feels heavy, hands clenching into tight fists without warning without his knowing- the cold spot on his back suddenly _ignites_ and her expression changes from passive to a small frown.

She looks up and-

Minseok immediately looks away, his heart hammering in his chest, ears ringing sharp and loud.

They pass through into the 7-eleven and Minseok nearly falls where he stands.

*

It’s nearly 1 in the morning when Minseok quietly makes his way out of the hotel. They all had a massive dinner with some drinks and Baekhyun and Jongdae had clonked out immediately around 12. But Minseok had waited until everyone else had either turned in to sleep or left.

It’s cold and quiet, and Minseok hopes no one will randomly walk out and check out the night sky or something.

He _had _to check on it. He couldn’t not.

‘_Be careful.’ _His aunt had messaged him again. Probably knew he was going to do something dumb like this.

The first thing he does when he goes to greenhouse is switch off the generator their equipment was attached to. This short blip could just be excused as it was a seemingly common occurrence in this area with unstable power connections. It had already happened once in the hotel when they were eating (and Mrs. Park’s pork stew was to DIE for) and Baekhyun had screamed bloody murder.

Thankful that Jungkook had shown him so much of the electric grid system, Minseok walks out of the main reception room knowing that he wouldn’t be spotted on the camera footage or trigger anything. The oppressive air is worse this late at night. But Minseok is on a mission. He easily finds a small hand-held shovel and makes his way to the corners of the land that Jungkook had pointed out to them as the spots where he and Jimin had found those eggs.

Pausing before he gets to work, Minseok listens carefully.

There’s nothing.

Crouching down, Minseok gets to work. He squints a little, not wanting to risk his mobile phone as he uses the small shovel to scoop out the sort earth around the walls.

He digs carefully in a wide berth- he doesn’t want to break anything by mistake-

And there it was.

A single perfect egg.

His stomach tightens, sweat cold on his forehead.

He doesn’t touch it, doesn’t disturb it too much. Covering it again carefully, Minseok steers himself to get back up and turn around.

Taking a deep breath, he heads for the next corner.

At the final corner he finds an egg again. And though his aunt had warned him- and though he knew he shouldn’t be doing this, Minseok cracks the egg carefully and mixed with the yolk inside is _hair_.

There’s a soft sound behind him and the hair on his neck stands on end, his eyes blurring and losing focus.

The same massive large thing looms behind him. The cold spreads like fire from the point in his back and Minseok is frozen in place, his breath stuck in his throat and-

‘Oh! Minseok-hyung?’

It’s gone. The cold is gone, the darkness gone. Turning around with a breathless gasp Minseok nearly falls backwards on the ground as he squints up, momentarily blinded by a small flashlight.

It’s Taehyung.

‘Ah-‘ he sighs, plastic bag rustling in his hands, ‘So, I should have guess. But you can see?’

‘Uh-‘ Minseok’s pulse has not settled yet.

‘My family has lived in this area for 4 generations,’ he explains, squatting down next to him and removing the broken egg with the hair as though it was nothing. ‘This is the only way we’ve been able to contain this bullshit in this area.’

Minseok’s mind is temporarily blank before the questions come out in full force.

‘You- your family has been taking care of this place?’

‘My uncle does, to be specific,’ Taehyung explains, ‘We change it out every other week.’

‘What does it do?’

‘It draws out the thing here.’

‘Do you know what it is?’

‘Back in the past, according to my uncle at least, there were- eh,’ Taehyung sits on the ground, knees bouncing a little as he continues, ‘A bit, immoral, I guess.’

‘…do you want to expand on that?’

Taehyung grins.

‘They had those animal sacrifices and things, but then they started involving some level of necromancy- or at least, attempted to.’

Minseok understands why his reaction was one of disgust.

‘Yeah, it’s hard not to throw up,’ Taehyung nods, ‘We’re trying to cleanse this place- allow what was dead to be reborn in a sense.’

‘So- so, eggs?’

Taehyung nods, ‘It sets them free bit by bit. It’s hair now, we’re getting there.’

‘Was it- was it something else before that?’

Taehyung just grins again.

He watches as Taehyung buries the egg. No prayers, no charm, nothing.

‘Your family is different,’ Minseok states bluntly, his heart rate returning to normal.

‘Yeah- it’s generational, and I guess I’m the who has it now?’

‘The story- about that old lady-‘

‘The land wants to remain like this- it’s what the necromancy brought here- wanted to stop me I guess,’ Taehyung says nonchalantly before adding, ‘It’s nice to talk about this to someone who believes me- like it makes sense.’

‘This is dangerous though.’ Minseok gestures to all of him. ‘You shouldn’t be coming out here at night- that- that _thing_-‘

‘Like you coming out here wasn’t?’ Taehyung chuckles. ‘I could sort of tell there was something different about you- especially after we walked past _that _house.’

‘That house-‘

‘It belongs to her, the last shaman. You saw her outside of 7-eleven.’ Taehyung explains. ‘She really hates me.’

‘Is she responsible for all of this here?’

‘Her family was- they’re one of the oldest families here. But her son is the last in the family line- something about not being able to have children.’

‘I-…I mean that sucks but at the same time-‘

‘It’s great!’ Taehyung grins widely, eyes twinkling even in this dark night.

‘And what about the other spirits?

‘They don’t cause problems too often.’ Taehyung explains, ‘They’re just…they’re just angry most times. And lonely, afraid.’

‘What are they?’

‘Consecrated bodies, souls that weren’t able to achieve peace,’ Taehyung explains. ‘But that big thing- that’s the main problem- I’ve been trying to catch it, both me and my uncle. But as we set free and rebirth the lives that were desecrated, it loses its power. We think that eventually, it will completely stop once all the spirits are reborn.’

‘What do you do with the eggs?’ Minseok asks.

Taehyung carefully opens a small pouch of felt-cloth to reveal the other eggs.

‘We bless them, and then burn them properly.’

They sit in silence for a while.

‘It’s stopped- the major things have stopped for a while now- since you and your dad helped out Jongsoo.’

‘Yeah- my uncle and I started on this from then. We’ve been able to have better nights now.’

‘Thank god or Baekhyun will never stop talking about this.’

Taehyung laughs heartily, clutching at his side.

‘Thanks for talking to me about this,’ Minseok adds, ‘It’s a little odd to hear someone else’s stories and what they see.’

Taehyung just grins before he stands up, holding out a hand for Minseok.

‘Will you keep me updated? I know it’s- it’s a bit odd but-‘

‘Of course I will!’ Taehyung exclaims, reaching for his hand to swing it a little.

They talk and exchange stories, walking out of the greenhouse compounds.

It was still oppressive, but there was something else new- something Minseok hadn’t quite noticed out of the overwhelming impression he first experienced.

The same sort of apprehension, a strange expectation and vulnerability surrounded this place now that Minseok really looks at it in the morning light.

‘Thanks for coming again, so much,’ Jungkook says with a bow.

‘It’s no problem at all we really enjoyed it!’ Jongdae exclaims back, bowing deeply as well.

‘YOU GUYS ARE WELCOME ANY TIME!’ Jimin yells from the end of the street, waving both arms violently. ‘WE’LL HAVE FISH STEW FOR YOU!’

‘I love him,’ Baekhyun says, with near tears in his eyes, waving back just as violently, nearly smacking Jongdae in the face.

‘Have a safe journey! I can’t wait to watch,’ Taehyung bounces a little on his toes. ‘I think the whole town will subscribe to you guys now!’

Baekhyun just laughs as he hugs the two tall teens. Minseok makes sure to take some nice footage as well as they pull out in the car. Baekhyun takes over and films the greenhouse as they leave.

‘You know- as terrifying as that all was- it was enjoyable I think.’

‘They were really nice. Very sweet,’ Jongdae nods in agreement from the back, having lost an aggressive rock, paper, scissor against Baekhyun.

‘Did you enjoy yourself hyung?’ Baekhyun asks, pointing the GoPro at Minseok.

Minseok smiles and nods, ‘It was great, almost feels like I watching the rebirth of life.’

There’s a sort of stunned silence that follows before Jongdae says, ‘Well- it _was _a greenhouse so-‘

Baekhyun drops the GoPro as he laughs.

*

minghaoFrogAgenda: _I HAVE’NT STOPPED CRYING FROM EPISIDE ONE Y’ALL SHOULD PUT A RATING IN YOUR VIDEOS SHOULDN’T THIS VIDEO BE DEMONITIZED FOR BEING TOO SCARY_

serendipity_calico: _Jungkook and Taehyung really out here exposing me to the world are they? Jokes on them, my wooing succeeded._

SilverInk: _I KNOW I SAID I CANT WAIT FOR PART TWO BUT I REGRET EVERYTHING NOW- I COULNDT EVEN BREATHE WHEN BAEKHYUN WALKED AROUND THAT ACCURSED GREENHOUSE FOR 10 WHOLE UCKING MINUTES DUDE PLEASE DON’T DO THIS TO YOURSEL_

IndigoSalad: _HAHAHAHA FUCK EVERYTHING- that story from the sweet married couple had me shaking – a COUPLE THAT GOES THROUGH HORROR SHIT TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER also that picture you guys uploaded on twitter is A D O R A B L E – can I say that Baekhyun and this Taehyung kid have a rather similar smile? Its very adorable. Very cute. _

DaeDroid: _oh god oh god oh god I know I’m supposed to be super scared by why are all these boys so cute?????? This Park Jimin could have my whole soul GLADLY- just WHO is he wooing??? Does this person deserve Park Jimin’s wooing??? Why does he need to woo anyone???? The world is unfair._

GrimArtandStuff: _i sincerely regret watching this episode. Goodbye sleep, it was nice knowing you._

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _Baekhyun…please…my bro, my dude, baby, honey- don’t do this to yourself please I’m begging you I could literally see the veins near your eyes popping out like in some anime please _

Bocchann: _I knew it- the eggs are a recent thing. Its used to exorcise tainted spirits, kinda like allowing them to be reborn. Someone in that greenhouse knows ecactly what theyre doing with those eggs. Now the question is, what exactly happened that youd need to go down the shamanism path to do something this extreme?_

Mareete: _in this house we stan an absolutely stoic and chill cameraman named Minseok. Also Manager Yoo is such an icon. Sees weird figures moving around? Chill as fuck. Sees weird figures INSIDE the greenhouse? Still chill as fuck. Is told something ominous and morbid? Still chill as fuck. Damn, what an icon._

Why Are All The B-Sides Bops?: _I think…I think I need to go and read some fluffy fanfics now…for therapy…_

LuckyFrogSong: _when will they have a nice relaxing video I asked, knowing full well that I’ve signed up for a horror fest every other week while following them on instagram, twitter, tumblr, and YouTube._

AZC: _this was SUCH a good episode oh god, from the footage, sound, interviews, commentary, everything was so good is it weird I want to go visit this greenhouse????????? _

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _lol rip Baekhyun-hyung at 15:09_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> This old woman in the wheel-chair thing is my experience from like, a weeks I saw her and fuck  
My chest froze, the way I froze where I stood. I was waiting for my sister outside our favourite bakery stall and this woman in a wheelchair is being pushed past me and- god, ive never felt something like that in a while  
The way I was so terrified that she would look at me, I don’t know why but every fibre in my being was like DON’T LET HER NOTICE YOU OR SEE YOU I can’t explain it guys it was terrifying  
The shorter horror experiences are very loosely based on some things I’ve experienced personally, and from what my parents have experienced, and then just painted over for some extra creepy jazz!! I hope you enjoyed it ^_^  
This is a trend, every time I update this fic I have soething to yell about  
And oh boy do I hAVE TO YELL  
But first I want to   
SCREAM FOR JOY  
Jongdae I am so SO happy for you- Istg im not kidding when the news broke out and it was revealed Jongdae himself revealed this I was at work the SEROTONIN WAS NO JOKE DAMN I WAS SO HAPPY MY WORKPALCE PEOPLE WERE LIKE??????????????? WHO ARE YOU??? WHY ARE YOU HAPPY????  
It feels like a good friend just told me they found a person that they love and cherish, and is going to marry them, and they’re expecting a child, and trusted ME with that news and information to share in on their joy and happiness FUCK I was over the moon with this news because my dudes  
We all been knew that k-idols dating is just- it’s just- yeah, you get what I mean, and seeing how Jongdae has been dating her for a while, been able to more or less, live a normal life someone his age normally would despite how extraordinary his lifestyle is, it’s kinda hopeful to know that k-idols do have the opportunity to live and explore their lives in a normal healthy way in regards to their love life. Speaking as someone who is acearo relationships are not really my thing and ive never felt the need to have it but I know for others it’s a nice wholesome part of their lives and especially for k-idols should be normalized and viewed with as much interest and talk as a normal persons relationship would garner- which is to say, absolutely none.  
That being said  
Lbr, you guys know how much I love and adore Jongdae and exo as a whole, but we also know that, unfairly, Jongdae is probably the least “famous” of the group. And the negative reaction he has gotten is so absolutey staggering that I am absolutely LOATHE to think about if this news came from someone like Chanyeol or Jongin I just- and in the end this comes from the root issue which is delusional entitlement that occurs very frequently in fans, and is encouraged by entertainment companies for branding and marketing their artists as fantasy/make-belief escapism. Like the whole “I paid so much for you” “you owe me this” “how dare you betray us after all we’ve given you” – in what universe did you think you were spending your money (no one has forced you) on someone for the purpose/belief that you were going to be able to, idk, marry (again, no one has said that by buying 10 albums you will be able to date/marry any member of exo) them?!?!?!?? Is that what this is??? And saying shit like “he wont be able to dedicate himself to exo and he will destroy exo’s image”   
BITCH  
Jongdae’s been dating this woman for possibly YEARS- during that time he’s been on world tours, released two solo albums, opened a youtube channel, had comebacks, done variety shows ETC to name a few things he’s done- the past few years exo has been giving us such fun and personal content and you think????? Just because he’s announced his intentions of marrage, he’s suddenly going to drag exo down??? no- the only shit that would bring down exo, and any other group, is the hypocrisy and delusional possessiveness and inhuman behavior of their so called fans  
This is SO disgusting  
I also hate HATE how this small minority of shitty “fans” are always the most loud  
I was telling my sister the whole situation and she’s like, ‘they’re probably the type who preach about mental health for k-pop idols and if they’re questioned about their current behavior will say its “different” and that its not “bullying”’ and FUCK even a casual listener like my sister can make these points   
FUCKALGJSLODJ I thought after the whole Baekhyun/taeyeon fiasco people would be able to connect the dots about their behavior regarding idols dating????? Clearly they conneted SHIT  
So if there is anyone, though I doubt it, who reads my fics and thinks that Jongdae has “betrayed” exo and exo-ls, kindly unsubscribe, and never EVER read my fics again, what I write is not for you. And while you’re at it, leave the fandom, you were never a fan to begin with.


	9. Unsolved: Autopsy [The Greenhouse Hauntings Pt. 1 & 2]

‘Well!’

‘Well!’

[minor pause]

‘As usual we would do a run down of comments, give some back story about some interesting stuff, or follow up on some parts of the video and things like that but-‘

‘Most of the comments-‘

‘Is just people crying about how scary these episodes were.’

‘I mean I guess it’s a win?’

‘Yes and it might sound like we’re complaining- we’re not, it was so fun reading the comments.’

‘Which is why today’s Autopsy will be a little longer!’

‘We’ve also kept in contact with Jeon Jungkook and Kim Taehyung, our wonderful hosts-‘

‘-hi Kookie! Hi Tae!’

‘-and we’ve been getting some messages back! But we’ll get into that later and first of all-‘

‘Okay but seriously, I’m not kidding 50% of the comments is just people crying, and about how they regretted watching the two-part videos at night-‘

‘-that’s on _them_-‘

‘-20% is just about how cute we look- by we I mean, like everyone that appeared in the episodes-‘

‘-they’re not wrong!’

‘-10% were comments about how some people want to go visit the greenhouses-‘

‘-valid! Those radishes were amazing and Mrs. Park-‘

‘-aye Mrs. Park shout out!’

‘-is an amazing cook you need her fish stew in your life!’

‘-and then another 10% was about farming? And gardening? I had no idea we hit that demographic?’

‘-but we did learn a lot though.’

‘True. And the remaining 10% were actual questions or theories.’

‘So let’s just randomly go through what we have!’

‘This is from Part 1, and they’re both rather similar, so I’ll read them both together.

The first is from YouTube username ‘Baguette Au Pain’ who says: “_yo hold up- no one messes with eggs in rituals that’s some voodoo shit y’all need to leave, take those cute boys wth you and YEET #erikyoong”_.

And yes- after extensive research, and talking with Taehyung and Jungkook as we did in the videos, the topic of voodoo, or even black magic came up.’

‘It’s genuinely interesting to me.’

‘What do you mean.’

‘How did we, as a society, come up with the idea of voodoo- or even black magic- what inspired us, in our primitive cavemen era, that yeah, I’m gonna make a doll that looks like someone I know, and poke it with needles.’

‘I don’t think voodoo dolls really were a thing that long ago…? Also fairly certain that a lot of what we know at least is just- media influenced from Hollywood movies pushing a pro-American agenda, and making every other culture, belief system, and non-Christian practices appear as something evil, demonic, or a result of lack of education when in fact we know for a fact that ancient medicinal practices are still relevant now to organic and non-invasive cures to so many illnesses and maladies, not to say they’re all correct and true but that didn’t mean what ancient herbalists and doctors and shamans and priests knew in the past was simply some form of hysterical animalistic ritual-based practice that always somehow ended up in orgies- NO! Think about how ancient Egypt had dentists who could perform root canals, or could treat tumors, create working and balanced prosthetic limbs- think of how the ancient civilizations in South America developed a high-functioning sewage system, irrigation system, and most of all _chocolate_. Or how in Africa, they were already performing safe and sanitary C-sections for complicated births- this idea that countries and cultures of ancient descent and supposed lack of modern technology equals into something unintelligent, crass, backwards, or barbaric needs to stop.’

‘I am-…this did not at all go how I thought it would-‘

‘Then the second comment reads! From Twitter use ‘THISISNOTSPARTA’ who writes: “_eggs are commonly used for exorcist practices I don’t think they’re there for a specifically ominous reason but rather for protection!! Pls dont disturb the eggs!! The reason why it had hair in it is because the exorcism works!! Its drawing out whatever is living there!” _and end!’

‘I like that reasoning.’

‘So you believe it?’

‘No- I just like that reasoning.’

‘Wait- that doesn’t make sense-‘

‘Oh come on- you don’t have to believe something just because you like it- I mean, look at Minseok-hyung, he likes us, but does that mean he really believes in most of what we say.’

‘That, my friend, is an _excellent _point, I full heartedly agree with you.

But back to the eggs- I mean I’ll be honest. It was terrifying.’

‘Yeah I agree- there’s something inherently wrong with seeing, or coming across eggs like that- and with hair? Like, okay, just a warning for you guys we’re gonna show the picture in 5…4…3…2…1-!’

‘That’s the worse thing you could see when you’re minding your own business, busting your ass to pay for tuition fees-‘

‘-it will be gone in 5…4…3…2…1!’

‘-and bam! Egg with hair!’

‘I like the idea that this user suggested- that the eggs were there to draw out whatever was living there- as though in a way- allowing them to be reborn through the egg- there’s actually a comment from-.’

‘So in this case, the egg definitely came before the chicken, but only because the chicken was a demon?’

‘…’

‘…’

‘This next comment comes from our Instagram page, by the way I’m offended at how many people only focused on Minseok-hyung _again_-‘

‘-you had a lot of comments shut up-‘

‘-username ‘Bocchann’ who writes: “_I knew it- the eggs are a recent thing. Its used to exorcise tainted spirits, kinda like allowing them to be reborn. Someone in that greenhouse knows ecactly what theyre doing with those eggs. Now the question is, what exactly happened that youd need to go down the shamanism path to do something this extreme?”_

First of all I love how they’ve written this comment it sounds very sure somehow.’

‘Oooh- now that’s an interesting theory! Someone knows what they’re doing in the greenhouse with the eggs- so it’s fair to say that maybe there are still some shamans that are still living there?’

‘Hmm- if anyone gave me shaman vibes, then maybe- Manager Yoo?’

‘He was exceptionally chill and calm.

But theories aside- this is actually nice- I like that someone could be watching over the greenhouse, cleansing it- but I’ll be honest-‘

‘-you’ve been lying this whole time?’

‘-the town felt so nice, and so supportive, and just- I don’t know, you know how sometimes, people are really aware, of the bad things, that have happened- I’m not saying that’s a bad thing-‘

‘-no I get what you mean-‘

‘-and it wasn’t like they were actively ignoring it or pretending things- it just felt- there was a nice genuine air to that town, it felt very hopeful, I felt.’

‘I agree.’

‘The next comment, which is again, about what 50% of the comments reads like, is from ‘minghaoFrogAgenda’ who is I think crying: “_I HAVE’NT STOPPED CRYING FROM EPISIDE ONE Y’ALL SHOULD PUT A RATING IN YOUR VIDEOS SHOULDN’T THIS VIDEO BE DEMONITIZED FOR BEING TOO SCARY”._

_[helpless wheezing and gasping]_

‘Okay so maybe we should put a rating?’

‘…like how though- uh, do we use these two episodes as a scale? The greenhouse episodes are 10 then- I would definitely give it a solid 10.’

‘Okay- and what should be 1?’

‘Uh- first season, our episode with Jongin.’

‘Honestly, that was just pure comedy.’

‘It was at my expense- but when I look back at it now, I will graciously relent my dignity and allow that episode to be ranked at 1 on our scale.’

‘You are most kind- but you didn’t have to relent anything I was going to use it regardless. Next comment is from username ‘Erikyooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonggg–‘

‘-it’s not _that _long-‘

_“Baekhyun…please…my bro, my dude, baby, honey- don’t do this to yourself please I’m begging you I could literally see the veins near your eyes popping out like in some anime please” – _they’re literally begging you to stop freaking yourself out.’

‘That’s assuming I _want _to be freaked out- I am nowhere near willing to be freaked out but I do it because I want to prove you wrong!’

‘So you put yourself through near heart-attacks just to prove me wrong?’

‘I do.’

‘Bro…’

‘Bro…’

_[bro moment, give them a second, sigh]_

‘Some updates on the episode!’

‘Yes! Received messages from Jungkookie and Taehyungie-‘

‘You know I read a comment that said you and Taehyung look quite alike?’

‘I love that comment-‘

‘-doesn’t mean you get his height-‘

‘AS IF YOU AND I ARE NOT THE SAME HEIGHT-!’

_[bro moment is Over™]_

‘Ehem, yes, as I was saying, Jungkookie says that indeed, they checked, and a majority of the town have subscribed to us and now refer to you as the ‘one who walks like an old man’-‘

_[affronted noises]_

‘-and refer to me as the cute son-in-law type.’

_[cheesy wink and finger-heart thrown at camera]_

‘-excuse me it says here they refer to you as the _loud screaming one_-!’

‘-so Jungkook says that he’s not found anymore eggs, though it’s not like he’s been looking for them in the first place.’

‘Which again, is understandable!’

‘And that they will be planting some apricot trees, and would be more than happy to send us some-‘

‘-I love them both so much-‘

_[short emotional break]_

‘The sightings have lessened- have been lessening for a few years for sure, but it’s much more noticeable now, Jungkook tells us.’

‘I am truly happy for them. Can’t wait for some organic apricots.’

‘And that’s a wrap up for this Autopsy!’

‘But this coming episode! You guys are gonna see a familiar face!’

‘He’s appeared on here a few times before, but now recently after he’s become a massively famous _verified _YouTuber, music production student, and all round talented tall hunk of a man!’

‘It’s not Sehun-‘

‘Sehun can hardly be described as a hunk-‘

‘-more of a bean- the best bean boy-‘

‘-he’s going to kill us-‘

‘Well! See you guys next time!’

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> Can you guess who’s gonna appear next? Ehehehehehee


	10. Unsolved Vlogs Season 2 Episode 4: The Imp of Studio NNG

It’s raining hard and Minseok-

Well, Minseok has a lot of regrets as per usual.

In general, Minseok does enjoy the rain. That is if he’s indoors, dry, enjoying the sound of the rain and occasional thunder overhead. If that’s the case, Minseok _loves _the rain.

But right now he’s outdoors, on a rooftop that is more bird-dropping than actual rooftop, attempting to find a way to set up the overnight cameras where the weather wouldn’t effect the footage. And of course it was the combined hare-brained idea and logic of Baekhyun, Jongdae, _and _Chanyeol that the durability and weather-proof-ness of their camera setup should be tested _while _it was raining.

So here was Minseok, head to toe in rain-proof clothing, rubber boots that are a little big on him that makes every foot fall heavier than it needed to be, setting up Chanyeol’s guaranteed waterproof camera.

Of course Minseok does not doubt Chanyeol’s word- he knows this brand of camera, knows its durability capacities and capabilities, of course Minseok knows this. But there’s something about Chanyeol, combined with both Baekhyun and Jongdae that just warrants a heavy amount of precaution.

Chanyeol was a good friend of both Jongdae and Baekhyun, as well as Minseok’s. He was a popular YouTuber and had a massive following for his original music production, video editing, and (as Baekhyun puts it) _handsome dorkiness_ which was greatly appreciated by all genders.

In the past, Chanyeol used to help Baekhyun and Jongdae with their channel- giving them pointers and random information that went beyond the basic ‘_try and find a niche and stand-out amongst all other channels, be really chatty but also seductive’ _kind of advise.

And on social media, the two channels did enjoy a light and comedic banter here and there- an interaction that fans from both sides as well as mutual subscribers enjoyed.

‘You guys could maybe stack up and be like We Bare Bears,’ is the first thing Chanyeol says when they had arrived that morning.

He’s instantly assaulted by Baekhyun who _flies _across the doorway, managing to grapple the tall lanky boy and putting him in a headlock.

‘Yield!’ Baekhyun says in a comically threatening voice.

‘Never!’ Chanyeol gasps out, grinning brightly though his face was slowly turning very red.

‘Didn’t know you had a choking kink, does Kyungsoo know? He’d be more than ready to oblige but for other reasons,’ Jongdae chortles as he puts down his bags.

Chanyeol manages to get a grip on Baekhyun and flips him. Minseok isn’t too worried. Despite Baekhyun’s appearances, he was trained and surprisingly strong and athletic. Instead Minseok is worried about Chanyeol who despite looking quite hulky was prone to forgetting his height and length, his center of gravity just a little bit off.

_A handsome walking disaster,_ Jongdae had once said, to which Minseok heartily agrees.

‘It’s nice seeing you guys!’ Chanyeol pants out, eyes sparkling and enthusiasm high as though Baekhyun hadn’t nearly choked him. Baekhyun bounces up as well, hair fluffed up, enthusiasm on par with Chanyeol’s. And somehow Jongdae’s enthusiasm seems to sky-rocket with this as well, and Minseok is-

Well, Minseok is already tired.

‘I’m sorry we weren’t able to plan things out better and we just kinda have to wing shit,’ Chanyeol says apologetically as he guides them into his very nice penthouse. Chanyeol was not only a successful YouTuber but also a very successful music producer. That, plus some very good investments, Chanyeol was able to live a very good life for himself.

Minseok is more than just a little proud.

‘Winging shit is our motto!’ Baekhyun declares before throwing himself onto a very comfy looking couch by a massive window looking down the city.

‘You guys want something to eat?’ Chanyeol asks as he marches up to his exposed-brick and industrial themed kitchen that has only probably seen instant noodles being cooked in it.

‘Serve us your best snacks,’ Jongdae says solemnly, taking a seat as well.

‘Hyung! You want this really good drip-coffee?’ Chanyeol asks, opening a cupboard above his head that Minseok _knows _none of them could reach.

‘Why aren’t you offering _us _this coffee?’ Jongdae demands, affronted.

‘Minseok-hyung likes coffee? Duh?’ Chanyeol snorts.

‘I too, am a massive fan of coffee and demand to have this drip-coffee!’

‘Enough coffee talk, more spooky talk- hit us with your story bro,’ Baekhyun interrupts.

Chanyeol had moved into this penthouse some months back. But it was only about a month ago that he had also purchased the very rundown and broken up shed-like storeroom-like maintenance room on the rooftop. After patching up the leaking roof, by himself (the vlog was absolutely hilarious because he filmed himself throughout this whole process), and adding a new layer of plaster, paint, and doing some heavy cleaning, the shed/storeroom/maintenance room was transformed into a neat little workspace.

Chanyeol was a bit of a Renaissance man in the sense he could do almost everything. And in his most recent hobby development, he had picked up making music-boxes. Minseok had watched him putting one together and had been absolutely impressed and slightly in awe. It was also somehow adorable watching Chanyeol, hunkered over a small item with tiny tools, creating a small and tiny music-box.

He had done a give-away for his first ever successful music-box and according to what Minseok heard, he had over 50,000 people signing up for the chance to get it.

Chanyeol had some very expensive equipment in here, which was why he had not only installed a security system synced up to his phone, but also a heavy physical padlock system over his doors and windows.

‘But- things keep moving around,’ Chanyeol tells them. ‘I’ll have left the studio for the night, with like, my shit around the table, and then when I come back later, everything’s been moved.’

‘No one else has access to the studio?’

‘No one,’ Chanyeol nods at once, ‘No one’s allowed in.’

‘Not even Kyungsoo?’ Baekhyun asks off-handedly.

‘I- I mean-‘ Chanyeol splutters.

‘So no one has access,’ Minseok cuts in, amused with the look of gratitude Chanyeol gives him. ‘How long has this been going on?’

‘It started about a week after I finished setting everything up,’ Chanyeol replies, ‘I mean at first I didn’t notice I’ll be honest- I just thought that I wasn’t paying attention. But then I was fixing up the Ghibli music-box, and I had left everything out in the open and gone to bed. The next morning all of parts and tools were arranged back inside the boxes?’

‘This sounds like a poltergeist!’ Baekhyun instantly exclaims, looking both excited and then immediately nervous.

Jongdae looks less excited. Obviously he’s thinking about a lot of logical explanations to this situation. But he’s also confused because they all know Chanyeol. He was not the type to make things up, least of all anything supernatural because of his natural aversion towards it. Chanyeol existed closer to Baekhyun’s alignment in the supernatural spectrum without the strange desire to prove his beliefs right. Chanyeol believed in the supernatural and would very much not like to be a part of it.

‘Anything else?’ Jongdae asks.

‘Things move around a lot,’ Chanyeol begins, ‘And I’ll be honest, after that I kinda uh- didn’t go back in?’

Baekhyun nods in understanding while Jongdae tries not to smile.

‘I guess I’ll show you guys?’ Chanyeol stands.

‘Yeah, we can start taping from here I guess,’ Minseok adds, ‘We can film the tour first.’

Working with Chanyeol is easy because, being in the same field of work, he knew what to do and even offered his input on placing cameras, setting up the sound and mic.

‘So you’re the only one with the keys to the roof?’ Baekhyun asks as they exit the penthouse to the hallway outside. Down the very end of the wide and well-lit hallway is a staircase leading upwards.

‘Yeah – it’s just me, and the guards downstairs.’

‘Do you think the guards would want to like, mess with you or something?’ Jongdae asks.

‘I really doubt it- also everything happens inside the studio, not outside- you’d still need my access codes and keys to get in there even if you manage to get to the roof.’ Chanyeol explains.

He was genuinely worried of course, and Minseok understands.

There’s a strange moment of wondering if you’re truly losing your mind when things are not how you left them. As a kid, Minseok remembers how in his school, his homeroom teacher often lashed out at the kids for moving about his belongings. Minseok and his classmates were regularly put in detention or suffered through long lectures. Minseok couldn’t tell the truth, that the room was spectacularly haunted by a dark wisp of a being that lingered in the corners of the room, under the desks, and most of all, swung by its neck right over the teachers desk.

Minseok had been extremely relieved once they moved on to another class.

So far, Chanyeol’s penthouse had not set off any personal alarms. But hauntings were odd- not all held the same pattern or needs. It was very possible that only this studio space was haunted. Maybe Chanyeol unwittingly brought in with him some spirit with something he bought. As long as it wasn’t causing him any harm, this spirit sounded absolutely harmless. Maybe it just wanted to organize Chanyeol’s mess.

It’s windy in a way that promises rain. The clouds above are dark and swirling.

‘Gross man, couldn’t you have like, cleaned up the roof area too?’ Baekhyun comments, looking down at the immense layer of bird-droppings.

‘I’ve asked maintenance but they said the rain would take care of it?’ Chanyeol replies with a small shrug.

The rooftop is wide, water reserve tanks huddled along the edge, massive turbine fans and vents line at random and tall chimney like protrusions stick out every now and then.

‘This has a very urban aesthetic to it- is that why you wanted the space?’ Jongdae asks, shivering slightly as they follow Chanyeol across the rooftop towards a square room set up randomly to the side. Minseok spies a sort of garden next to the studio room.

‘A bit,’ Chanyeol grins, ‘But it’s also because it takes my mind out of the usual thinking space I guess.’

‘Valid,’ Baekhyun nods, looking over his shoulder to give a thumb’s up.

‘Are you trying to garden?’ Jongdae inquires as they get closer.

‘Uh- not exactly but I’m trying not to let anything die,’ Chanyeol laughs. ‘These were all here before- I think they’re like plants and stuff people left behind after moving out of the building, and it’s just been gathered here by the maintenance staff.’

There’s a small collection of shrubs, small fruit trees, large heavy pots of flowering plants. There were also large trays of what was once clearly a kitchen garden, with herb pots, jars, and cups, now overflowing with basil, rosemary, and mint. There’s even a collection of hedge-like bushes in heavy looking concrete planters.

‘I kinda want that climber to grow all over the side,’ Chanyeol points to a small but sturdy looking evergreen plant with dark pointy leaves. ‘I hope I can get it up.’

‘Please vlog it, I’m sure it’ll be a fun time-lapse to keep.’ Jongdae says earnestly, crouching a little to look at the plant.’

‘Okay so this is it,’ Chanyeol pauses before the door, the padlock heavy, the door evidently thick and sturdy.

‘Great, lead the way,’ Baekhyun gestures before turning back to face Minseok, ‘This is the main zone of activity- where Chanyeol has been experiencing a lot of misplacement of his items.’

Stepping in Minseok feels absolutely nothing.

It’s a nice space, Chanyeol has done a good job. There were a total of 6 windows, all narrow and thin, and very sturdy looking, with the hatch inside so there’s no way of opening them from the outside unless you evidently broke it. There’s a small ventilation shaft that connected to the air-conditioning unit Chanyeol had set-up by himself in a compressed 5 hour video. His main work table is set up against two walls, while comfortable chairs and floor pillows were strewn around floor. Evidently, Chanyeol has not been up here in a while, what with the fine layer of dust over his exposed equipment.

After a short tour during which it starts to rain, they start setting up the cameras. Chanyeol gives Minseok his rubber boots and an entire weather-proof suit he had bought for himself so that he could garden in the rain. Minseok decides not to question this thought-process that lead to this purchase because he was now at least weather-proof, setting up the cameras near the garden area so that they had surveillance from the outside in case someone was pulling some sort of prank on Chanyeol.

Minseok is surprisingly dry when he returns downstairs, just in time to say goodbye to Chanyeol who would return the next morning.

‘All right!’ Baekhyun says as they close the door, turning to face the camera, ‘Time to throw a party in Studio NNG!’

Jongdae laughs heartily in the background.

It’s only raining lightly when they’re back on the rooftop. It was now quite dark, and the only lights they had were from their water-proof flashlights. Minseok is not sure if Baekhyun was shivering from the cold or from being nervous. Jongdae on the other hand was thoroughly enjoying himself, beaming, his fringe and face wet as he splashes Minseok a little.

‘I will end you,’ Minseok threatens to no avail.

Minseok doesn’t know what to make of this story. There was no way Chanyeol was genuinely losing his mind, but he was definitely convinced something had happened, was happening in his little studio. But Minseok can’t sense anything, can’t feel anything. Even Baekhyun didn’t look too scared, though when he does his 10 minutes of walking around the empty and high rooftop alone in the rain, he’s very disturbed, claiming he heard footsteps behind him.

They leave out small items here and there all over the studio under Jongdae’s suggestion, to bait the spirit or whatever. Jongdae took out the time to spell out ‘_heya ghouls’_ on the table surface using little nails Chanyeol used to make his little music boxes.

They can’t sleep in the studio- as there was no space, and Chanyeol hadn’t attached any heating in the small space yet. After making sure that the cameras were all recording, they call it a night and slip downstairs back to the warmth.

Minseok wakes up in the morning to hearty peels of laughter and the sound of the rain.

‘Hyung!’

There’s a sudden weight on him and of course it’s Baekhyun.

‘What-?’

There’s another weight on him and Jongdae’s laughing face occupies his vision momentarily.

‘What’s wrong-‘ Minseok manages to get out.

Baekhyun is still laughing hysterically while Jongdae tries to explain, unearthing Minseok from his tangle of blankets on the couch.

‘Come see!’ he giggles, pointing to Minseok’s own laptop that was displaying the feed of their cameras.

Evidently something had triggered the motion sensor cameras inside the studio and therefore Minseok was able to see this camera feed.

And it’s their beloved night-vision camera feed that just makes everything super creepy. But what’s on screen is definitely _not _creepy or scary.

‘Is- is that-‘

‘It is!’ Jongdae wheezes.

On the screen, Minseok watches as a small sort of rodent scurries about Chanyeol’s desk, putting back in the items they had purposefully left out over the tables.

It’s _dedicated_. Scurrying about the table, picking up everything it could and it’s absolutely _adorable_.

Chanyeol is both relieved and endeared at the sight of the footage they pull up for him when he arrives.

‘I think the little mousey has been entering through the ventilation,’ Jongdae explains, pulling up another camera-feed where you can see the small rodent scurrying in through the vents before dropping down. ‘I think it might be living in the garden.’

‘It’s so cute,’ Chanyeol squeaks, ‘Oh no- oh no I’m responsible for this little mouse-‘

They huddle a short distance from the garden on the rooftop. It’s not raining anymore, but the clouds were still heavy overhead. Looking down, the bird-dropping were indeed gone.

‘I think maybe the mouse was caught by a bird? But then escaped?’

‘A survivor!’ Chanyeol exclaims, his eyes filled with an expression Minseok recognizes all too well.

Chanyeol was going to find a way to adopt this mouse. Minseok can feel it in his bones.

‘Guys I’m adopting this mouse you need to help me!’

*

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _how on earth did this happen_

DrinkThatWaterBtich: _ngl, I am not at all surprised that this episode ended with Chanyeol adopting a dormouse with the help of Baekhyun Jongdae and Minseok honestly this was a ‘how to adopt a dormouse’ video._

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _this was such a sweet and pure video I love this so much, also lowkey loving the aesthetic of this video so much good job Mr. Minseok for all of those lovely rain-shots!_

15 Frame Rates Per Second: _I came here after Studio NNG’s video because honestly that was so chaotic and cute and this one is somehow even more chaotic and cute _

GrimArtandStuff: _god this episode is such a sweet relief from the previous episode also Chanyeol is the sweetest tallest dormouse dad_

LuckyFrogSong: _omg an actual relaxing video???????????????????_

SilverInk: _I WOULD DIE FOR THAT LITTLE DORMOUSE WHAT IS THEIR NAME I NEED TO KNOW FOR SCIENCE DOES THIS MEAN THAT JONGDAE AND BAEKHYUN AND MR. CAMERA MAN ARE THE GOD FATHERS _

DaeDroid: _the fact that they put more effort in getting that dormouse safely over any other video of them trying to capture an FBA or supernatural acitivty describes their personalities so well subscribing to their channel was the best thing ive ever done_

Where there is a will, there is an iam: _this channel was recommended to me by a friend and I have no regrets_

Professional Procrastinator 3000: _oh to be a dormouse and held by a tall handsome man in his large beautiful hands this world is truly unfair_

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> I was watching this video about this man who went through this exact same thing in his shed and later discovered that a dormouse was basically cleaning up after him in the night and I was like!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is perfect and I need Chanyeol in this  
I thought a kind of sweet and mild chapter would be good after the horrors of the past two chapters ehe, still sorry about that =D  
Also, Chanyeol as a successful youtuber and producer was a really good expansion into this funny au I thought, he’ll be appearing randomly in the future episides!!


	11. Unsolved: Autopsy [The Imp of Studio NNG]

‘HELLO’

‘HEEEELLLOOOOO’

‘AYEEEEE MAKE SOME NOISE!’

_(it’s been 5 seconds and already the chaos is over the roof please save me – KM)_

‘So as you all can see, we have with us, founder, creator, owner, of Studio NNG with us for today’s Autopsy!’

‘Aye wassup guys, Chanyeol from Studio NNG here-‘

‘-none of that basic YouTuber shit here-

‘-yeah enough of that before we start opening with an announcement of Patreon or something-‘

_(it’s been 20 seconds please help me I beg)_

‘So! Let’s start with some questions from the comment sections from YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter!’

‘Can I just say this is really cool, I never thought I’d see this whole part of the video ever being filmed-‘

‘-oh yeah, we only just started with Autopsy after you got too big to work with us anymore-‘

‘-t_hat’s not true don’t say that-!’_

_(sigh)_

‘-this question comes in from YouTube account ‘Wishing Pigs Could Fly For Instant Bacon’-‘

‘-wait I have so many issues with this username-‘

‘-seconded-‘

‘-let’s be realistic here- have you seen how massive pigs actually are- it’s like we have this assumption that pigs are like, the size of dogs, maybe a bit larger- THEY’RE NOT! PEOPLE OPEN YOUR EYES PIGS ARE LARGE OKAY!’

‘-I really second this because a few years back when I went back home over the winter break, like it was really cold and there was this great barbecue an uncle of mine was hosting- like, not real uncle, just someone who’s close to the family-‘

‘-oh yeah I get that-‘

‘-_that _kinda uncle yeah-‘

‘-and he’s just really good at getting that ratio for barbecuing meat really well- I’ve spent more time watching him and timing him to get the perfect barbecue but it’s like- he has a sixth sense because I mean of course, not all meat cuts are gonna be the same-‘

‘-yeah, like, fat ratio, how the meat has been cut-‘

‘-precisely- so anyways, he always had this barbecue thing which was great- and I used to play with his kids when we were little, and his wife, this was in the past of course, she was a night-shift nurse, and so one night, I had a sleepover, and he didn’t know what to cook for us- ah, how men have survived for this long we will never know-‘

‘-yeah, just a PSA, to all men-‘

‘-cis men-‘

‘-it’s not “gay” to know how to cook, because by that logic, it’s gay to be able to feed yourself independently-‘

‘-also bold of you to assume gay people can all cook??’

‘-yeah point being- at least learn how to fry an egg, cook rice, throw together something that’s not instant-‘

‘-no one is saying you should do 5-course meals-‘

‘-but at least, some basic man-‘

‘-but he could do a barbecue, and that’s where the whole barbecue tradition came from- so this one specific night- his wife came home from a shift earlier than expected and she took this picture of us because the irony of the whole situation was that they had a farm as well- not like, the kind where they breed animals and stuff-‘

‘-just a kinda basic farm? A few chickens, etc?’

‘-yeah, and the kids wanted a pet pig? So they had a pet pig, and we were eating barbecue pork, right outside of the pet pig’s pen- and listen that size-‘

‘-were you like, half of the pig-‘

‘-I kid you not- the three of us could fit inside the pet pig-‘

‘-so yeah, that means, if pigs could fly, how the fuck- wait, can I say fuck-‘

‘-I think Minseok-hyung would bleep it out-‘

‘-wait- where did hyung go?’

‘…’

‘…’

‘Uh-‘

‘-I think Minseok-hyung is crying.’

_(some minutes later)_

‘Username ‘Wishing Pigs Could Fly For Instant Bacon’ says: ‘_this was a cute video – tho I think if I had the camera and gear NNG did, I would have set up everything myself – was fear of actually spotting a ghost stopping you from setting up surveillance by yourself?’_

‘Ah! Okay so I should explain I guess?’

‘Please do!’

‘At first, like I said, I thought I was just being forgetful about shit- stuff, about stuff, and that I was maybe just stressed, or tired- something like that.’

‘Understandable and reasonable.’

‘But then I came across you guy’s tweet- I think maybe you retweeted it Baek, about how spirits manifest in the subconscious of our actions or what we think our actions are-‘

‘-I don’t know how you came to conclude that your studio was haunted after that-‘

‘-and I thought, am I excusing something supernatural as my own absentmindedness? Was a spirit manifesting in my internal self-doubt regarding my own habits? And was it fucking with me, moving my shit- stuff, and then guiding me and my actions, to against me?’

‘…’

‘…’

‘I-…I mean, that’s one way to translate the tweet-‘

‘-so I thought, what if something supernatural was responsible for all of this misplacement of stuff around my studio? And yeah, I could’ve totally set up my own camera- but then again, I did remember you guy’s channel- and I thought, you know? I miss those guys, this will be fun- maybe eye-opening, and possibly in need of an exorcism, that would always be fun to film right?’

‘Aww! Chanyeollie!’

_(I am so tired please **please** help me)_

‘Next question is from Twitter user ‘Silver Ink- on MZD Lockdown’: ‘_wondering if either Baekhyun or Jongdae have like, a sixth sense or something- either one could have it- it would explain why Baek is sensitive, and why Jongdae is stoic- people respond differently to stuff, and I think it’s quite neat.’_

‘Okay- I can say it- once and for all, everyone, I DO NOT have any sixth sense of any sort- unless it’s for some really good food but that’s just my stomach leading me-‘

‘-I would like to think that most people have some sort of sense- and you can’t refute me in this, and I’m sure Chanyeol and Minseok-hyung would agree with me- humans have another kind of sense- gut instinct, for example- you can’t explain it, but it just is-‘

‘-okay I can agree with you on that one- but I doubt the explanation is a supernatural one-‘

‘-and yes I agree with that too!’

‘…you do?’

‘Yes! As you once said, there are a lot of things we don’t know or understand till now- in the past, people believed the sun was a god, and now we know it’s a star, formed by great pressure, gases, gravity, and a lot of other cool science stuff – and maybe what we categorize _now _as supernatural, can in fact, later be explained by science-‘

‘-but what the people in the past believed, doesn’t make it any real less or meaningful for them, just because _now _we know more-‘

‘-exactly! You! Come here you-!’

_(sharp and painful high-five ensues)_

‘This question is specifically for Chanyeol and it’s from Twitter user ‘Stop Hoarding Toilet Paper Oh My God’: ‘_hows the dormouse? I hope mr Chanyeol is taking good care of the little fellow!’_

‘I love that everyone’s comments are mainly about the dormouse-‘

‘-and how they all call it _little fellow_-‘

‘-ah yes! My son!’

‘Ooooh! It’s a boy!’

‘Yes! And so yeah, his name is Gollum-‘

‘-WHAT WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT-‘

‘IT’S FITTING OKAY-‘

‘HOW IS IT FITTING-‘

_(after a 5 minute discussion of names, the Lord of the Rings legendarium, and how names are just a social construct)_

‘So Gollum is a boy, just over a year old! He’s healthy, has no worms, no ticks, nothing- and I’m setting him up with a nice cozy home that I’m in the process of building right now! It’s fully organic- no plastic, all plant based no-dye nice and cozy complex and airy- but most importantly I am getting _another _dormouse!’

‘Why?’

‘Because well- I did a lot of research of course- I mean, I wanted to adopt the little fellow, but would it be better for him to be out in the wild y’know?’

‘Ah yes.’

‘Yeah, some animals shouldn’t be kept as pets!’

‘This includes raccoons and I haven’t stopped being mad.’

‘Raccoons have creepy human hands-‘

‘Take that back _right now-!’_

_(I have never been more tired my whole life)_

‘So I read that the dormouse is a social creature- and they need a buddy with them or they can die of loneliness?’

‘That’s- that’s so sad oh god-‘

‘-so I’m bringing in a little buddy for him in a few days! And I’m naming him Smeagol!’

‘…’

‘…’

_(I deemed it nearly impossible to continue after this, rest assured you’re not missing out on anything useful!)_

‘So! This coming episode is-!’

‘-possibly, our most ambitious!’

‘Season finale tri-episode series-!’

‘I’m excited to watch!’

‘Silence, name-doomer-‘

‘Name-doomer?!’

‘-This will be a very _very _special series- yes! Series!’

‘And for the _three-part _episode series, we will be joined by our good friend who came forward and spoke to us about this special place. We will be staying a full working-week here because y’all this trip- it’s gonna be epic.’

‘Even more epic than our Greenhouse episodes! So definitely don’t watch those episodes at night!’ 

‘As a small spoiler- we are definitely going out of the city, travelling quite a distance in fact- and we will be visiting the DK Hostel for Young Children!’

‘I already hate how this sounds.’

‘Thanks!’

‘I can tell you right now that Minseok-hyung is not happy!’

‘But hey! At least it won’t be just you guys right?’

‘Right! Because the person who brought this place to our attention is someone who studied and lived here for almost 6 years!’

‘But more details in the coming episodes!’

‘Understandably guys, this series will be coming out a little late- but we will be updating you guys with small tidbits and spoilers through Twitter and Instagram!’

‘So follow us on there for some-‘

‘-wait- how is _this _not some basic YouTuber shit- stuff?’

‘Silence name-doomer-!’

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *
> 
> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> Seriously the next 3 chapters are definitely going to be scary because it’s based off of a real hostel my sisters went to when they were younger, and it was super haunted, or so they tell me, and overall terrible place


	12. Unsolved Vlogs Season 2 Season Finale: The DK Hostel for Young Children Pt 0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AGAIN THESE CHAPTERS GONNA BE CREEPY OKAY  
DONT READ AT NIGHT

Oh yes, Minseok 100% definitely hates this.

He’s not sure how two people manage to attract so many opportunities and circumstances that would lead them into places that were so deeply and darkly inhabited and _steeped _in such negative memories, weighed down by a darkness that was inexplicably palpable and discomfiting.

And how did two people manage to personally know so many other people who were so intertwined with something so absolutely dark and overwhelming?

First with Junmyeon and his childhood home, and now _this-_

‘Hyung!’

‘Tao-yah!’

Baekhyun is sprinting out of the taxi and straight into Huang Zitao’s arms who lifts him high up.

Minseok also wonders how two people know so many _tall people_.

Minseok doesn’t know Huang Zitao- but he’s heard a lot about him in the past few weeks.

Zitao had contacted Baekhyun and Jongdae about a month back, and they began excitedly talking again- sometimes having calls, long message series, video calls, etc.

From what Minseok understands, Zitao’s family had moved to the area when he was still a young child, and while his parents travelled a lot for their job, Zitao was kept in a hostel close to his school. He lived in the DK Hostel for Young Children until he was 14, when he was moved to an all boy’s school later in another city after his parents settled on a more stable job. But the 7 years he spent in this hostel was more than enough to get Zitao to contact Baekhyun and Jongdae.

That, and also the building was set to be demolished the following year, to be rebuilt into a college.

They had to take the train, which Minseok was more than happy to comply with, because he didn’t think he would be able to _drive _all the way here. And it was a nice city – not as crowded, less polluted, and with a slight old-town-y aesthetic still prevalent throughout the architecture and streets of the city. They were staying at a decent place- a _hostel _but the kind for tourists and local travelers like themselves. They had arrived near dinner time, and Zitao had planned a whole dinner for them at his favourite restaurant. So that was where they were now.

Zitao is a tall and thin young man- maybe Sehun’s height, with tan skin, ashy grey hair, sharp eyes lined with dark circles which, if Minseok isn’t mistaken, was natural and part of his _aesthetic_.

Currently, Zitao was studying fashion design, and was making a good name for himself on Instagram and Weibo as both designer and modeler and also a Tik-Tok model or something like that, Minseok can’t keep up with all of the new social media apps.

Or at least that’s what Baekhyun and Jongdae excitedly tell him.

He came to greet them in a long deep maroon asymmetrical sweater that revealed his back though he wore another shirt inside as it was still cold. His long flowy trousers cut off right above the ankle to reveal colourful socks and 3-inch platform tie-up customized shoes. He’s wearing a beanie that Minseok feels is more an added fashion statement over practicality as it barely stays on his well styled hair.

Minseok also has a feeling this is Zitao dressed _down_.

‘Hi!’ he beams brightly at him after he finishes hugging Baekhyun and Jongdae, ‘It’s nice to meet you!’

Minseok returns the greeting with his best big-brother smile even though he has to really look up to address the tall young man.

‘Baekhyun-hyung and Jongdae-hyung have told me so much about you!’ he exclaims. His voice is a lot softer than his face would have people believe.

‘Likewise,’ Minseok smiles, ‘It’s good to meet you in real life.’

‘Let’s eat and you can tell Minseok-hyung about everything!’

*

6 bunk beds in one room. Small desks fitted in between the spaces, two uncomfortable chairs pushed up against them. Small square trunks at the bottom of the bunks. Two slim and tall windows face the doorway.

At night it gets dark.

And because the school operated on low funds because the superintendent pocketed most of the money for his own lavish estate some 10 kilometers from the hostel, there was no power in the school after 10 pm sharp.

The power also almost always gave out with the rain, heavy snow, strong winds, and the damp.

And it was always damp.

The hostel building was always somehow damp.

If you touched the walls down the hallways leading to the mess hall, your fingers came away slightly sticky, slightly wet. But it was best if you didn’t touch the walls too much- dust, mites, fungi, wall lichen, mold- they grew in abundance despite the poor attempts at painting over them.

So the air always carried a damp stale smell that after a few weeks, permeated all of your clothes, your blankets, your sheets. Other kids from the school turned their noses away from the kids in the DK Hostel – claiming they stank. But being stinky was the least of the children’s worries.

Because when you were especially unlucky, after semester break, you were reassigned rooms. And sometimes, you were stuck in the north-block for 5 months, during which your room will never see sunlight, and the walls painted white turned grey with the damp.

Some parents were rich enough to pay for specific rooms for their kids. But most who entered DK were not always well off, their fates up to the matrons, some of whom had a penchant for targeting specific kids.

Then, it was always a nightmare to fight for the bunks.

Because most preferred the lower bunk- as you were protected from the occasional dripping ceiling. _Especially _when it rained- there was always dripping somewhere- making the mattresses damp.

But also because the Tall Thin Man couldn’t bend at the waist and couldn’t stare at you as you tried to sleep.

*

‘My school used to have a ghost story too,’ Jongdae offers, ‘They said that after 7 pm, in the gymnasium, you would catch the spirit of the old janitor who died there, wiping up the floors-‘

‘-it’s always the janitor,’ Baekhyun rolls his eyes before adding, ‘My school- the fifth floor, homeroom C-12, apparently it was super haunted, and weird messages would appear on the chalkboard-‘

‘-oh yeah, super weird I bet,’ Zitao mumbles over a mouthful of egg rolls.

Zitao inhaled food as though he was starving.

Minseok wonders where it all goes because he has an issue with carbs and it’s annoying because he _loves carbs_. But Zitao was probably the type who could eat a whole feast and not gain a single kilogram. He was also probably the type who wanted to gain some weight or something.

This world was truly unfair.

‘Oh I know all the cliché ghost stories from different schools,’ Zitao snorts, reaching for the soup-dumplings, ‘And honestly, maybe some are true, maybe some are like, really specific to the school, and the stories handed down but DK was- well, probably still is, extraordinarily weird.’

‘The hostel shut down some years ago?’

‘Yeah- there was a whole massive corruption thing,’ Zitao explains vaguely, chopsticks pointing towards where Minseok guesses, the hostel awaited them. ‘The superintendent and his family ran that place for like, 30 years? And they were finally outed by their own employees who had enough. The family had connections with people in the city municipal and some government official I’m sure- it’s why they were able to get away with the shitty quality of their hostel for so long.’

‘Was it really very bad?’

Zitao’s eyes roll, whole body shuddering dramatically.

‘Listen- I don’t know how much of what I used to hear was true- and if the stories were just like, you know, you guys’s stories about janitors and what not-‘

‘-hey!’ Jongdae whines, mock offended, ‘Don’t mock my urban legend!’

‘-but it was definitely the most depressing time of my life, alongside every other kid who had the misfortune of staying there,’ Zitao looks serious as he adds, ‘-and when I heard about it being taken down soon- I thought, rather than have what happened there completely forgotten and erased from memory, I thought it would be good to showcase how shit like this happens in places where children are supposed to be safe.’

Both Baekhyun and Jongdae nod seriously.

One of the main reasons why they had come in to the city quite early despite only shooting for 3 days on-site, was to get clear and legal information from police reports regarding the corruption of the superintendent (for legal issues and so they don’t get sued), as well as meet up with old employees and ex-hostel students and go through the interview process if they were still okay with it.

‘Sure the horror and ghost-shit was there, but sometimes I wondered if it was some mass-coping mechanism all the kids had,’ Zitao says thoughtfully, ‘That in order to overcome homesickness, the terrible living conditions of the place, the bullying, and honestly jail-worthy abuse from some of the matrons – maybe coming up with scary stories made all of that easier to cope with.’

*

The doors had no locks on them, except for the hostel matrons rooms, the nursing rooms, the store rooms, and the superintendent’s rooms/offices. So that meant waking up in the middle of the night to hear all 20 doors in a single hallway open one-by-one, holding your breath and hoping that the Girl from the Wall would just move on, and not enter your room.

But sometimes she did.

The hostel used to be a hotel before. And it was only 2 floors. The south-wing still held many of the original architecture- including many of the original paintwork.

The entrance to the boy’s toilet had the painting of a smiling boy in a yellow shirt, blue pants – but years of graffiti reduced it to a cartoon-like caricature. And opposite it, was supposed to be the girl’s toilet, or a powder room for women. And the painting was opposite of the boys, but it had been cemented over when they added in additional floors, requiring builders to place and support the mainframe of the original building.

The painting, seen in an old framed photograph, shows a young girl in a blue dress and yellow stockings, her hair braided in two. But her face is blurred, the dark of her eye merging with the side of her face.

And so she flits about- moving around wherever the new support system expanded, looking in, unable to see so her hands moved over the damp walls. Sometimes you will see her yellow stockings, walking under the windows, towards your desk.

Sometimes, one end of her pigtail sticks out from behind the chalkboard mid-class.

Or a painted hand will be edging over the gap between the bookrack and the wall.

In the early morning, you could see her hand prints and follow them all the way to where she was encased, behind the cement and bricks.

*

‘And here you go,’ Jongdae grins as he hands them the permission letters he went to pick up with Zitao before the City Municipal Offices closed. ‘The secretary in there went to DK!’

‘She’s from a batch before mine,’ Zitao exclaims.

‘I asked her if we could interview her, but she said she doesn’t think it would be allowed- what with her job and all,’ Jongdae hurriedly adds, looking comically disappointed.

‘Ah damn,’ Baekhyun whines, ‘But we still have like, 4 people who agreed right? That’s really good!’

‘It would’ve been nice to have all of them come in to the hostel,’ Jongdae says wistfully as they walk out the street into the main road, cars zipping past in the urban intersection.

‘I don’t think anyone would want to relive their trauma,’ Minseok mumbles.

‘Unless you’re me because clearly I need therapy,’ Zitao says with a comic darkness.

‘Hey- closure and all of that right?’ Baekhyun grins, ‘Maybe this will help?’

‘Yeah maybe,’ Zitao smiles down at Baekhyun with a hopeful expression, ‘Honestly I did have a lot of troubling things happen to me- but I think I was mainly really homesick, and I really missed my parents. Didn’t make a lot of friends while I was there.’

‘But look at you now!’ Jongdae exclaims, gesturing to all of Zitao with a quick wave, ‘Being all-…relevant!’

‘Thanks,’ Zitao deadpans.

‘But yeah- tomorrow we’re meeting Mrs. Son Minhee?’ Baekhyun struggles to take out his phone from his pocket, checking on his notes.

‘Yeah, that’s her,’ Minseok confirms.

‘Great- we’re meeting at the local park right?’ Baekhyun looks sheepish, reaffirming everything he himself had planned out some weeks ago.

‘Yeap,’ Jongdae adds, ‘But that’s in the evening- we’re meeting Mr. Son- not related whatsoever to this Mrs. Son, in the afternoon at _another _park. Thank god Tao’s here- honestly, I love parks, but like, they’re all the same to me-‘

‘How have you lived this long?’ Zitao asks, offended.

‘Excuse me, I just said I love parks, but like, I don’t think you need to have a personal relationship with every individual park to be, I don’t know, learned-‘

‘-oh my god hyung-‘

Baekhyun wheezes as he walks alongside Minseok.

‘They have the dumbest arguments.’

‘Remind me again how you all know each other,’ Minseok asks with amused tiredness. His legs were sore and cramped but this walking around the city was actually helping somewhat.

‘Through Yixing-hyung!’ Baekhyun beams.

‘And don’t you know Yixing through Sehun?’

‘Yeap!’

Well. Okay then.

They grab a taxi to take them back to the hotel. Zitao was going to go over their whole schedule with them again, and even though Baekhyun was sometimes very scattered, he still had a firm grasp on planning things ahead effectively.

‘I’m ordering some food in,’ Jongdae calls from the bedside stand between the bunks of the cozy and well designed hostel room. ‘It’s surprisingly not expensive. Who wants what?’

‘Please, something sweet!’ Baekhyun immediately replies, not looking up from his phone as he and Zitao look over Baekhyun’s excessively colour-coded and organized excel sheet, comparing it with some other thing Zitao had open on his iPad.

‘Hyung?’

‘I think I want breakfast.’

Jongdae laughs, ‘I’ll see what they might have- you know what, I’ll just go down and ask instead.’

‘Ayeeee, use that charm of yours,’ Baekhyun crows while Zitao nods in agreement.

‘Oh hyung, you’ll enjoy this,’ Baekhyun elbows Zitao who, still a little shy around Minseok, hands him his iPad. ‘It’s the history of the place- that specific location more like.’

‘Yeah?’ Minseok smiles, mentally noting to never tell any of the people in this current team his “love” for history was simply to get a better understanding on what could be potentially causing a haunting.

And well shit.

According to the PDFs Zitao had obtained from the historians specializing in the area, the land over which the hostel was built one used to previously hold temporary barracks and hospices during the war. And Minseok wants to throw the iPad across the room.

There was actually a memorial site as well, not too far from the hostel.

Great. Just great.

Maybe all of this was true then- and not Jongdae’s high school janitor level story. Maybe there was definitely some level of activity – heightened by the despair of the children who slept and lived there, the already agitated spirits that lived there, leeching off of their sorrow, worry, and the blatant corruption practiced by the people who were meant to take care of the place.

Minseok makes a mental note to prepare little charms, for protection and some cleansing, when he gets to his bunk. Both Jongdae and Baekhyun slept like rocks, so Minseok would have the opportunity either later tonight or tomorrow, to quickly whip up some minor charm sigils to place on their being and belongings.

And definitely on Zitao as well – if all of this was true, and Zitao returning could potentially be bad as he was already susceptible to the hostel’s grasp. The entirety of the hostel would have a strange weight on Zitao for sure- and Minseok would rather be prepared than go into this completely unprotected.

Better safe than sorry, as Minseok likes to think of everything.

Jongdae returns, pleased with himself, as he announces that their food will be sent up within the hour, and that they would also be getting some freshly baked egg-tarts.

Jongdae’s ability to instantly charm people was very helpful.

However, it’s not even 15 minutes later that there’s a knock on their door.

‘Wow that was fast-‘ Jongdae comments. Zitao stands instead, closest to the door and goes to open it letting out a loud and shocked gasp.

‘What-‘

‘Kyungsoo?!’

Do Kyungsoo stands at the door, bundled up in a warm jacket and beanie, looking in with a faint smile and saying, ‘Heard you were hitting up our old hostel Tao-yah, thought I’d join if it’s not a problem.’

‘Oh my god!’ Zitao recovers from his shock and is quick to crouch down and gently hug Kyungsoo, bringing him inside. Minseok notes how Zitao doesn’t cling the same way he did with Baekhyun and Jongdae, aware of Kyungsoo’s need for personal space.

‘Kyungsoo wow-!’ Baekhyun’s eyes are sparkling.

‘How did you even know about this-‘ Jongdae looks incredibly confused.

‘Wait- you guys know each other?!’ Zitao looks at everyone in the room with wide eyes.

‘-how did we not know you knew each other-‘ Baekhyun splutters, fingers pointing around at everyone.

‘-I don’t understand how we’ve known each other, but not known you knew each other did you both know about this-‘ Zitao rambles.

‘Chanyeol was telling me- you guys don’t mind? After all, I can help with the cameras and-‘ Kyungsoo cuts across the overlapping voices and stunned exclamation with ease, his voice calm and mild.

‘Not at all!’ Baekhyun grins wide and happily before going to go and hug him.

‘Hyung?’ Kyungsoo looks over at Minseok who was honestly also wondering how they _all _knew each other.

‘Honestly, please, you’re a blessing sent to us,’ Minseok says heartily, reaching over to hug the younger man. ‘I didn’t think I’d survive this trip having to tail after _all three_-‘

‘Hey!’ Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Zitao protest loudly.

Kyungsoo laughs, pulling off his beanie revealing his still short hair. Jongdae is quick to rubs his hands all over his head, kissing the side of his head in delight.

‘You went to the same hostel?’ Baekhyun asks in disbelief as they all sit around.

‘Yeah,’ Kyungsoo nods, smiling at Zitao, ‘I was a class above Tao- but we sometimes had the same room together.’

Zitao nods to that, knees bouncing where he sat, ‘This was when hyung was taller than me.’

There’s bursts of laughter.

‘Oh my god Kyungsoo my bro-‘

‘-please never address me like that again-‘

‘-can we interview you that’ll be so good-‘

‘-yES PLEASE SAY YES!’

Kyungsoo nods, picking at the cuff of his jacket, and it really dawns on Minseok how strange all of this was.

‘Yeah, I have a lot of stories to tell as well.’

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> Listen- isn’t is perfect to have Kyungsoo here  
Okay story time, other than the fic, when my sisters were younger, my parents sent them to a hostel/school in India and WOW the stories they came back with  
It’s an actual school called Rock Vale, in Darjeeling, and I think it’s been torn down now, but every single student from there will probably be able to tell you some of the stories I’ve written out or will be writing soon  
The hostel building itself was over some land that used to have barracks for wounded soldiers is what was relayed to me, again, I am not sure how much of this is true, but it was very close to a hospital, and in the past, people were buried/burnt in the area where the hostel was then built.  
The stories are slightly exaggerated ofc, but damn the girl in the wall story still stuck to me because my sister once said she saw a painted braided pigtail on the wall behind a closet in the girls dorms and  
Yeah  
=/  
So yeah, don’t read these next updates at night I guess? It’ll get worse from here! ^_^


	13. Unsolved Vlogs Season 2 Season Finale: The DK Hostel for Young Children Pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Karoake song is Breathe Easy by Blue, if you know it, you know it ;) you're welcome

It wasn’t better off during the day.

Because the voices that you hear sometimes came from the walls, under the floorboards, behind the mirrors in the bathroom.

They always knew your name.

They called you with familiarity, authority- sometimes even with longing. Students often reported being reprimanded by someone who wasn’t there. But most waved it off, brushed it aside as their own consciousness, guilty or not, for conjuring some voice telling them to finish their homework.

But every student, every child, reported the same person.

The Red Knot Matron- she wore a brown skirt, different from the blue skirts the actual matrons wore. And her hair was tied away with a red scarf, tied in a knot on the top of her head. She would peek into study-rooms, just half of her face visible, the red knot visible in your peripheral vision. She would stand there for long minutes, before eventually moving away.

Cheating while she watched always made her angry – some say she might scream in your ear from behind you. Some say she stands behind you as you study, leaning down, her hair coming out of the scarf to tickle your cheek or neck.

Her breath cold and moist against the nape of your neck.

Sometimes she braided your hair if it was long. She even pulled harshly on it if she thought you weren’t paying attention.

Sometimes the red knot was visible through the book shelves of the cold and empty library. Just behind where you needed your book. Sometimes she just stood there, waiting. You never went to the library alone. She sometimes pushed books off, rearranged them, turned them over, right behind where you stood. And the librarian forced you to undo all her work as she watched, half her face visible behind the shelves, red knot bright and lurking.

Always watching.

*

_‘I can’t sleep at night-!’_

_‘Till you’re!! By my saaaaaaaiiiiiideeeeeee- yeaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAH!’_ Baekhyun slips easily into an annoying falsetto.

_‘Can’t breathe easy!!! NO EYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!’_ Jongdae screams emotionally.

_‘I can’t dream yet another dream without you lying next to me there’s no air-‘_ Baekhyun says this so breathily it barely comes out.

Zitao is almost crying, wheezing as he falls over Kyungsoo who has his face in his palms.

‘_There’s noooo air…_’ Jongdae ends dramatically.

‘I hate you guys,’ Zitao weeps.

Minseok doesn’t remember who suggested they go to a karaoke but here they were. It’s almost midnight and Minseok has Many Regrets™. Zitao has genuine tears of embarrassment, laughter, and joy in his eyes. Kyungsoo looks like he’s trying to drown in the couch he was sitting on and Minseok would join him if possible. The song ends, with both Baekhyun and Jongdae kneeling dramatically on the floor.

But it’s enough to tire out everyone when they head back to their own hostel, keeping very quiet as they walk down the hallway to their room. Fitting Kyungsoo into their room was easy; Jongdae just smiled his way through the talk, added with Kyungsoo’s natural god given trustworthy countenance (Baekhyun’s words), the hostel staff were more than accepting and added Kyungsoo to their room listing without any trouble.

They do need to time their schedule carefully though- including washing up, showering, taking a dump (Baekhyun’s words), make-up (Tao’s words), and breakfast. So they decide things in the most democratic manner possible: rock, paper, scissor.

Baekhyun loses at once, followed by Kyungsoo, then Zitao, and then Jongdae, who screams victoriously but is immediately pummeled with pillows into silence.

They’re one person extra, meaning two would need to share a bed.

Both Jongdae and Baekhyun make it a point to wiggle their eyebrows at Minseok, sliding up to him while he brushed his teeth, attempting some form of seduction. It’s mainly hilarious because Baekhyun’s wearing a mud face-pack, his hair tied away with a hair tie (borrowed from Zitao) on the top of his head. Jongdae has his hair pushed away with a fluffy band, a shiny purple facemask covering his whole face. When Kyungsoo realizes what they’re doing he chokes painfully on his toothpaste foam, making Zitao smack him on the back, a look of disdain on his face.

They both end up aggressively doing the back-pack dance around Minseok in the bathroom. Zitao, ever the opportunist, takes a video of it. Minseok does not want to know how their notifications were going to blow up soon.

Jongdae and Baekhyun pile in easily together in the same bed, only complaining for a minute before they both knock out completely. Zitao is on his phone for a while, and Kyungsoo is on his back, eyes closed, chest rising slowly.

Minseok would have to wait a while.

About an hour later, everyone clearly asleep, Minseok gets up quietly. The bunks are sturdy, not noisy or creaky as Minseok sits up. Creating a sort of barrier with his legs, Minseok lays out the paper between his legs and using the light of his phone, starts carefully writing the protection charms.

He could probably make some more tomorrow but he wants a head start. Who knows, maybe this would be enough?

Something in the air shifts and Minseok feels the hair on his arms rise.

Minseok just barely stops himself from screaming out loud when he looks up to find Kyungsoo watching him curiously from across the room in his bunk.

Great. What was he going to say now?

‘I didn’t know you were superstitious hyung.’

Kyungsoo’s voice is low, but Minseok still looks around worriedly. Zitao was sound asleep, and Baekhyun’s light purring snore uninterrupted. There was no need to worry about Jongdae who slept like a rock.

‘I uh- I guess, it makes me feel better.’ Minseok tries to sound convincing.

Kyungsoo had weak eyes- like, super weak eyes. So he either squinted heavily at you, or just didn’t bother, his eyes going rather blank. But right now his gaze is clear, looking at Minseok and through his terrible lie.

‘Those won’t work there.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Those won’t work. At the Hostel.’

Minseok doesn’t know what to say.

Kyungsoo turns over quietly to face Minseok.

‘I know you can see,’ Kyungsoo tells him.

Minseok sighs tiredly, looking down at his charms.

‘How?’

‘You glow.’

‘Hm?’

‘You glow- there’s a haze of light around you.’ Kyungsoo explains. ‘A few people glow- but your light is…it’s strong.’

‘Oh…what…-what do _you _see?’ Minseok asks quietly.

There’s a soft mumble- either from Baekhyun or Zitao, Minseok can’t immediately tell. Kyungsoo turns over on his bed and Minseok grimaces at himself.

Great.

He stares at his little charms, wondering if Kyungsoo meant it. Would these work at all? If Kyungsoo could _see _– whatever that was – then he knew what he was talking about, right?

His phone lights up with an incoming message.

It’s from Kyungsoo.

_Kyungsoo:_

_People call it “aura” I guess_

_Minseok:_

_But it’s not?_

_Kyungsoo:_

_I don’t know what it is, exactly, just I can see it._

_You’ve always had it_

_Minseok:_

_Does anyone else have it_

_Kyungsoo:_

_Seeing aura or having aura_

_Minseok:_

_Both_

_Kyungsoo:_

_I know that the boy from your other episodes had it_

_His was super bright_

_Minseok:_

_You can see it even if its digital?_

_Kyungsoo:_

_Yeah, I mean, you can see them in digital form too right_

_Even if they’re not visible to others_

_Minseok:_

_Yeah. For how long?_

_Kyungsoo:_

_Since I was a kid. Ive had bad eyes for a long while, I used to think it was normal for some people to just, shine, I guess_

_Minseok:_

_Then you realized it wasn’t so?_

_Kyungsoo:_

_Yeap. Very cliché, movie-trope worthy. What about you hyung?_

_Minseok:_

_Since I was a kid too. It was worse when I was younger though._

_Tell me about the hostel. _

_Will it be dangerous?_

_Kyungsoo:_

_I came because_

_I’m worried for Tao_

_Minseok:_

_How come?_

_Kyungsoo:_

_He doesn’t have good memories of the place._

_Zitao can’t see, but he can, I guess, sense. _

_His light is very weak, super soft- but he gets agitated quickly. _

_I tried to dissuade him about this whole thing but_

_I guess for him, he thinks he needs it to _

_Come to terms_

_DK is not a good place overall_

_But Zitao had an especially rough and terrible time in it_

_Minseok:_

_I can imagine…but if he thinks he needs to do this then_

_Kyungsoo:_

_I want to make sure he’s not giving more than he already has to that place_

_Minseok:_

_What do you mean_

_Kyungsoo:_

_It’s the land there- something’s just_

_Off_

_It’s almost as though it’s alive_

_Minseok:_

_What do you mean?_

_Kyungsoo: _

_Actually, hyung, I wanted to join you all_

_I mean im sorry for just_

_Imposing myself I really am_

_I feel really bad about that but_

_Minseok:_

_What is it_

_Kyungsoo:_

_I was worried for you too_

_Minseok:_

_How come_

_Kyungsoo:_

_I can explain in detail tomorrow but_

_That place it just //takes// from you_

_And if you shine_

_Its worse_

_Minseok:_

_But what about yourself?_

_If it was bad for Zitao_

_What about you_

_Kyungsoo:_

_I learnt_

_I knew how to hide I guess_

_Minseok:_

_Tell me_

_Kyungsoo:_

_Tomorrow, hyung_

_Minseok:_

_Okay_

_Thank you, for telling me_

_Lets make sure our dumbass friends get out of this properly_

*

And if sometimes, you found yourself on the stairs, no matter what time of day, and you were alone. Someone always joined you, their footsteps a step behind, their hand on the bannister rail just behind yours. Most students walked closer to the walls as a result. Sometimes you could hear their breath behind you if you walked up too fast, as though labored.

But determined to follow you.

If you were especially unlucky, the footsteps would follow you out of the staircase and for the rest of the day. Sometimes it followed you to bed, sitting on the mattress heavily as you pretend to be asleep, ignoring the cold weight pressed to your curled form. Ignoring the cold heaviness on your shoulders.

You could never see it.

If you were overwhelmed with fear, reckless with shaking adrenaline, turning mid-stair to challenge it head-on, you would see nothing. No one stood there. No one followed you.

But when you walked past the windows, their footsteps still echoing yours.

You would see them on the window glass panes, hands on your shoulder, as though playing a game, red figures of young boys and girls without faces, merrily streaming behind you.

They liked to crop up in pictures too, unaccounted additions- faces blurred and disconnected from their bodies. Just their blurred faces, and their hands, clasped over shoulders and sometimes over faces.

Sometimes when it snowed, the ground patchy, it dragged behind you- no footsteps, just a massive drag mark over the dirty snow.

Your shoulders would always bruise.

*

‘Mr. Son?’

‘Yes! It’s good to meet you.’

They all bow in greeting at the slightly older man.

Baekhyun had already called, along with Zitao, discussing what they would be doing for the interview. So Mr. Son, an office employee, had lived in DK almost all of his young life, and was about 8 years older than Kyungsoo and Zitao. He was happy to give an interview, finding it only slightly amusing that he was approached by a ghost-hunting YouTube channel. But he was nice about it, so that was a plus.

‘I lived in DK for 9 years,’ Mr. Son starts. ‘From when I was 6 till I was 15. I studied at the local school here, and my parents struggled with finances, finding work and all that during that time. Our family had to move in with our other extended family, to save on living expenses. My younger brother, two cousins, and a neighbour of ours all entered at the same time.’

‘You had family with you!’

‘Yes I did, I think that really helped with homesickness if I’m being honest. I would tell my younger brother we were going long-time camping- it was hard on him, he was only 5.’

‘That is _very _young,’ Jongdae nods.

‘When you were living in DK, did you ever come across anything strange, I mean other than just rumors-‘

‘-yeah because, all schools and hostels have their own, I guess, urban stories and spooky tales.’

‘Oh definitely of course,’ Mr. Son laughs, ‘My cousins, they stayed in the girls dorm, and they would tell us stories from the girls dorms. But it was mainly just to spook my younger brother. Exaggerations, mainly, and second-hand stories.’

‘Do _you _yourself remember any of these stories?’

Mr. Son frowns a little in thought.

‘After you contacted me, I really thought hard, back to my days in DK. I even asked my younger brother, my cousins. I know we were miserable- we tried to make the best of everything. But it was…it was a sad time- not just for us in DK, but overall- the economy was not good-‘

‘Capitalism has not only been ruining overall society, but it’s also been causing the supernatural to thrive- people, if this is the wake up call you need-‘

‘Shut up!’

‘People did not laugh, had no time for…had no time for kindness I guess; for themselves, for others. There was…there wasn’t a lot of comfort to be experienced during those times. And as the eldest, I always tried to make sure my cousins, younger brother, friends- we were always somehow taken care of. I did what I could.’ Mr. Son has a wistful expression on his face, ‘I know my younger brother used to have night terrors. As we were in separate classes, sometimes separate rooms too.’

‘Ah yes- you couldn’t choose right?’

‘No we couldn’t. But a few times we were able to share. I spoke to him last week about it, and he doesn’t remember much of when he was younger during DK- but I remember trying to wake him from his night terrors and it was always…disturbing, I guess.’

‘How so?’

‘Most people overcome their night terror by well- it either fades, or they fall asleep again. But my brother- it was like he was wide awake. His eyes were wide and he couldn’t look around- he was frozen most times.’

‘How could you tell when he was having night terrors?’

‘Oh it was mostly by chance,’ Mr. Son admits, ‘He made no sound- there was no indication of him going through a night terror. Sometimes I’d just wake up- and after I realized what it was, I guess I woke up more frequently just to check on him.’

‘You’re a good older brother!’

‘Ah- well, I tried my best,’ Mr. Son chuckles sheepishly, ‘But he would just lie there, frozen, unmoving, just looking to the side. We would have bunks, and I normally took the lower bunk because the higher classes had to wake up earlier. I would climb up to his bed to check on him and wake him up. It took a while- maybe 10 minutes? I’m not sure, you know where you’re a kid, time is a bit messed up, especially how you remember things in the middle of the night.’

Both Jongdae and Baekhyun nod.

‘But he would just be laying on his back, head tilted to the side, eyes wide. It was always in that position. The best way to wake him up I found out, was to cover his eyes. Then he’d close his eyes, move and shift around, and go back to sleep.’

‘Did he ever remember his night terrors?’

‘No he didn’t.’ Mr. Son explains, ‘But every time I found him like that, it was always in that position.’

‘Did you yourself experience night-terrors?’

‘I don’t know if I did to be honest- my brother doesn’t remember these at all,’ Mr. Son shrugs, ‘It’s hard to say if I did or didn’t. But I’ll be honest, DK was not a nice place, and sleeping was always a challenge. Especially in winter when it was cold. Sometimes two of us would share the same bed, to keep warm and double the blankets. The matrons didn’t allow it, but we would manage to be sneaky about it. If we were caught, the matrons would take breakfast out of our schedules.’

‘I’m pretty sure that’s illegal,’ Jongdae frowns.

‘It was a long time ago,’ Mr. Son chuckles, ‘And at that time, many people would skip meals, saving them; we were considered privileged to be living in a hostel like DK, where we were given 3 meals a day.’

‘You know I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with interviews,’ Baekhyun says abruptly, staring at the camera. ‘Because like this, it’s 10 times more personal, which makes it 100 times more realistic, which makes it a thousand times more likely to freak the living daylights out of me, which makes it a million times more likely to crop up in my dreams-‘

‘-hundred-thousand.’

‘…what?’

‘You were counting the numerical system wrong,’ Jongdae explains.

‘I-…I li_terally don’t care!’_

Mr. Son is shaking with laughter. He’d been told in advance that for the recording part, they might cut in occasionally to give some comment and it may be chaotic but it’s part of their whole banter and to simply continue forward like it was normal. 

When Mr. Son’s time is up they thank him profusely, bowing as he leaves.

‘He was nice,’ Baekhyun comments, stretching and enjoying the sunlight. ‘A good big brother, just trying his best.’

Zitao nods, ‘I always thought siblings or close relatives had it much easier in a way- they had that support system.’

‘Unless your sibling is a _dick_,’ Jongdae says with emphasis.

‘Oh yeah, there were dick-ish siblings for sure,’ Zitao rolls his eyes before turning to Kyungsoo who volunteered to watch over the cameras as well, relieving Minseok. ‘Hyung, do you remember the Lims? God, the older sister was such a bitch.’

Kyungsoo snorts, ‘They were rich. They had it a little better than most of us, but yeah, her younger sister was miserable.’

‘Misery breeds more misery,’ Baekhyun nods wisely.

‘How much time left before we meet Mrs. Son?’ Kyungsoo asks, looking down at his watch.

‘About an hour- we should get something quick to eat- I saw some pancake stalls down the park there,’ Jongdae points across the park they were filming at.

‘Oh, yeah, that’s good, we can get a bus to the other park from here. Cheaper.’ Zitao comments before he crouches down to help Minseok with the tripod, unlocking the brakes at the bottom.

‘Do we need to empty out the cards?’ Baekhyun asks as he turns one of the cameras around in his hands, going through the footage they just took.

‘No- we’re good,’ Minseok shakes his head. ‘Even if so, I can transfer the files straight to my phone if needed.’

‘Kyungsoo be real with me,’ Jongdae is wheedling- he has that wheedling tone to his voice, ‘Have you watched any of our shows before?’

Kyungsoo looks offended that Jongdae would ask him that but it’s brief.

‘Of course I have.’

‘Which one is your favorite episode? If you’re partial to certain ones I have no grudge-‘

‘The first episode of this season. You guys were in serious shit,’ Kyungsoo snorts, throwing Minseok a brief but meaningful look.

‘Yuck, I hated that episode to my core,’ Zitao adds, shuddering for effect. ‘There’s a reason why asylums have a bad rep and a specific aesthetic. Can you believe? A classmate made a whole concept based on mental asylum _fashion- _god, talk about tone-deaf.’

‘What happened after that?’ Kyungsoo asks, genuinely intrigued while Baekhyun looks at Zitao in horror.

‘Oh yeah, she made it out into a whole BDSM thing,’ Zitao rolls his eyes, ‘Typical.’

‘How is BDSM _typical?!’_

*

Most students learnt not to drink water after dinner.

Dehydration was a rite of passage for most, and learning how to control your thirst was not only a way of saving your expenses because the hostel charged you for every time you filled your canteen, the bill collected and sent to your parents at the end of the month, but a way to avoid mistakenly entering the third toilet stall. Nothing was inside the third toilet stall. But once you left it, you would always see _them_. Two girls, one boy, standing by the far corner sink. You can’t really hear what they say, but no one wants them to ever turn around.

But.

If they did.

They would keep you, stricken and standing still, shaking with fear, eyes closed.

They spoke to you.

But it was like a dream- you couldn’t remember what they said. What they told you.

But you would always feel heavy- as though you carried some dreadful terrible secret. You wish you could rid yourself of the feeling but you can’t- how can you share the burden of this terrible secret if you didn’t know what it was yourself?

And once you knew the secret, you would see them everywhere. Watching you as if warning you, checking you, to see if you would tell someone their terrible secret.

*

Mrs. Son (not related in any way to Mr. Son) requests that they blur her face and change her voice as well. They readily accept of course, having already made those agreements and conditions. She’s older than Mr. Son by a few years, and was currently working as a receptionist in some office.

She seemed like a nice enough lady, as Zitao had put it with a slight shrug, and strongly reminded Minseok of a side-character in cop-movies who are bullied into opening the safe for the bank-robbers. Minseok knows that’s really specific, but somehow that’s the only image that comes to his mind.

‘It was always cold.’

This was clearly a reoccurring theme with DK.

‘Really cold- I don’t really recall any clear moments where I experienced genuine joy or comfort while I was there,’ Mrs. Son tells them. ‘I was 8 when I got there- my mother had recently died, and my father didn’t know what to do with me, so I was sent to school while he tried to get things back together.’

She didn’t sound particularly sad about it, but Jongdae and Baekhyun both comment gently.

‘I couldn’t sleep most nights. And the matrons,’ she gives them a rueful expression, ‘Were not the kindest. I didn’t want to wake my roommates, so I used to sneak out every night. The lobby was always the nicest place in DK- it wasn’t as cold. And the lights were always switched on in the corridor way. I would sit down on the guest couches, much softer than our bunks, and I would fall asleep there. Most times I didn’t remember getting there- I think I had problems sleepwalking. I’ve been told I tend to sleep-talk by my husband, so I’m guessing sleepwalking isn’t too far off.’

‘He’s never mentioned you sleepwalking?’

‘Not at all!’ Mrs. Son laughs. ‘He’s a light sleeper- which is how he knows about my sleep talking.’

‘Why did you think you used to sleepwalk?’

‘I used to wake up in random places around the hostel,’ Mrs. Son explains to them, ‘Most times, most frequently, I woke up near the girls bathroom, on the first floor. I wondered if it was some need, to go to the bathroom, and so instead of actually waking up, I would sleepwalk there. A few weeks ago, after you contacted me, I did some research about that actually, and it turns out that some children do, but it normally involved bed-wetting, which to my knowledge, never happened.’

‘Uh, not to be crass, but how do you know?’

‘The wardens punished children who would wet their beds. They always performed checks every morning. I was never once punished for wetting my bed,’ Mrs. Son laughs a bit at their discomfort of asking that question. ‘But I would sometimes remember going down, mainly because I thought I would find my mother waiting for me- but I can never remember the moments _after _leaving the dorms, and only waking up outside the girls bathroom.’

‘You were never caught?’

‘No- I always made it back to bed somehow. Though I used to have very extensive dreams- sometimes I would feel myself being carried out-‘

‘-of your bunk?’

‘-yes, and also carried back in- I would go through a whole tour of the hostel, into areas I wasn’t allowed into- into hallways that didn’t exist, and stair cases that were endless,’ Mrs. Son makes a thoughtful face, ‘I guess I had an active imagination- and of course, the stories kids used to tell each other weren’t always the best things to be exposed to.’

‘Were you scared? When you used to find yourself outside the girls bathroom?’

‘I don’t really remember- but when I think about it, I think I might have extensively talked in my sleep as a child. I remember my mouth being dry- the same way it does right now when I have my bouts of sleep talking.’ Mrs. Son explains. ‘I became very ill, staying in DK, like a lot of other children who used to stay there. A little before my time, there were cases of children dying from pneumonia or even the flu. This was why I left DK only 2 years after being there.’

‘You got sick?’

‘I did- as a result I still have asthma. I’m not surprised really- when they most recently inspected the buildings, they said that the mold problem was incredibly dangerous. The damp! I hope you’re all careful when you go there,’ she says with genuine worry. ‘I am more than happy knowing that the entire place will be taken down.’

‘Is there anything else you remember from your time there?’

‘You know, I hadn’t thought much about DK, only after the news about the place was brought up in the news, and after you contacted me,’ Mrs. Son turns her head around, as though looking for the hostel. ‘I had a dream about it, after so long!’

‘What did you see?’

‘I dreamt of what it looked like when I was there- so cold. When I woke up from my dream, I almost felt like I was there again- it was horrible, after so long I remembered the place and it was terrible,’ Mrs. Son laughs a bit before adding, ‘My husband was awake, he told me that I was talking, in a childlike voice for a whole minute before I woke up.’

‘Uh-‘

‘He couldn’t really hear what I was saying- but he was concerned because I had never done _that _before,’ Mrs. Son laughs as though she’s talking about basic magic tricks. ‘But he woke me up and- and well, here I am I guess!’

*

Also, if you were unwell, which was frequent in the DK Hostel, you battled fever dreams laced with hallucinations, and what you hope are figures from your deepest nightmares, gathered around your bed in the nursing room, looming above you, holding aloft white cold candles, just enough to illuminate the turn of their lips as they smile at you.

Because nightmares you could defeat. You could wake up.

But no matter how many times you counted down to 10, no matter how many times you closed your eyes, pulling the blankets over your head- they always gathered around you, looking down at you and just-

_Waiting._

*

‘I think we can conclude, with even more surety, how much this place deserved to be closed down and absolutely destroyed,’ Baekhyun says firmly as they part ways with Mrs. Son. He looks disturbed. ‘Also pretty sure she has some like, deep-rooted trauma, unresolved from her mother’s death, her feelings of abandonment, and then that shit-hole of a place, no offence.’

‘None taken,’ both Kyungsoo and Zitao reply as they trudge along the busy street.

They eat dinner out, going over their schedule for the next day. They would first be shown around by the maintenance, showing them areas that would be safe, areas deemed unhealthy, and also just in general a clear guide of the place. Baekhyun and Jongdae had already, with Zitao, made the full arrangements regarding where they would be filming.

This would also be one of the first times they would have to send their footage to a Counsel for approval. Technically they could upload whatever they wanted, but Baekhyun and Jongdae did not want to be blamed for anything potentially negative, so they were being safe. It was one of the reasons why Minseok was also glad that Kyungsoo was there to help out with the technical aspects.

When they get back to their hostel, Minseok empties out their cards into both his laptop’s internal drive, as well as an external one. For safe keeping, he even uploads key footage into an online drive. 

‘We still need some b-roll though,’ Jongdae frowns, ‘I mean I know most of it will come from the hostel but-‘

‘It’s okay- Kyungsoo can take me around,’ Minseok says at once.

‘Yeah that’s a great idea!’ Baekhyun adds on, ‘We can take the heavy shit with us- we can neatly divide what sort of footage to keep in the episodes that way.’

Minseok and Kyungsoo wave goodbye to the three, promising to be back soon. Minseok understood Baekhyun’s visual ideas and Jongdae’s pace and editing, which made taking b-rolls easy. They liked interjecting key-elements and visuals during longer narration or interviews. And with these episodes, Baekhyun and Jongdae wanted to add an element of something disturbing be putting the interview narration over seemingly normal scenery. They had both been very serious discussing the seriousness of the practically criminal activity within DK. And everything that had happened, even without the idea of some supernatural activity to make the whole place horrifying, was honestly a much more horrendous thing that had taken place, and in many parts of the world, was still taking place.

‘What did you think of the interviews?’ Minseok asks Kyungsoo after walking a bit.

‘They were good- credible.’

Minseok laughs, ‘You think they were lying?’

‘No, not at all- just sometimes, people over exaggerate for the TV, or well, YouTube.’ Kyungsoo snorts.

‘So- fill me in on what I need to know about DK,’ Minseok requests as he finds a park bench. He places his camera on it, fixing the aperture to complement the current scenery.

‘DK- or well, at least the entirety of that land, it’s as though it has a sentient quality to it.’ Kyungsoo explains.

‘Sentient? How?’

Kyungsoo frowns a little, looking off into the distance before saying, ‘It targets you- specifically. It tends to shift how it wants to appear to each person, each individual. Children were easier targets- not that I don’t think the patrons were not aware of things within the hostel it was just-‘

‘-yeah,’ Minseok nods in agreement and understanding, ‘it’s different when you’re older.’

‘Fear manifests in different ways, and DK preyed on the children most effectively,’ Kyungsoo says with a shrug, ‘Hungry, weak, scared, anxious children.’

Minseok adjusts the camera, holding it in his hands for a change in pacing, redirecting it towards the street and busy traffic, people walking about.

‘It was different for all of us and-‘

‘-and for you?’

Kyungsoo gives him a small wry smile, ‘I saw everything.’

‘Didn’t it hurt?’ Minseok asks carefully, remembering his bout of illnesses when he was younger after exposure to certain places and even people.

Kyungsoo nods, ‘It did- but DK just knew, that I could see everything.’

‘Did…did it come after you?’

‘Many times,’ Kyungsoo huffs out, ‘But it was mainly to see how it could try to get to me.’

‘Did it ever get to you?’

Kyungsoo points towards the office buildings lighting up in the slowly darkening sky and Minseok redirects his camera, purposefully filming through the busy electric wires and poles for that Urban Aesthetic™.

‘3 months after I started living in DK I woke up one night because all of the children sharing my dorm room with me had sat up in their beds and called my name.’ Kyungsoo explains without any warning. ‘I freaked out. And then they all pointed towards the door; which of course was open.’

‘Of course,’ Minseok says almost breathlessly. He’s had _a lot _of experiences as a child, but this was clearly surpassing everything he’s ever had the misfortune of witnessing and remembering.

‘I didn’t want to move, but they kept calling my name, over and over, I just left,’ Kyungsoo continues to narrate, ‘So I stepped out, and the door closed behind me at once. I couldn’t go back in. My immediate thought was to get to the matron’s rooms. Of course when I started walking, I realized that the hallway just wouldn’t end- I could never make it to the matron’s room. Somehow I ended up on the other end of the hallway, even if that wasn’t the direction I was trying to go in.’

‘The hostel wanted you somewhere.’ Minseok states, ‘Were you dreaming or awake? Could you tell?’

‘Awake,’ Kyungsoo says firmly before glancing over at Minseok, ‘I was awake in bed, but the hostel was showing me all of this.’

‘So…kinda a strange dream-scape, only you were awake? Almost as though you were, I dunno, Luke Skywalker astral projection?’

Kyungsoo laughs, throwing his head back, ‘Yeah- yeah, I guess that’s a good way of saying that.’

‘And then?’

‘Well, I went towards the direction the hostel wanted me to go- so I went to the stairs. My room was on the top floor. And there was no other way to go except downwards. I stuck close to the wall- I remember that it was raining, it was very cold and I was barefoot as well,’ Kyungsoo scrunches up his face a little, shivering just a little, ‘I went all the way down to the first floor. The door to the matron’s offices opened- it’s a long hallway, and also accessed the superintendents offices and other rooms, mainly related to administrative stuff. I know for a fact that the doors were always locked there. But that night it opened- and I just followed.’

Baekhyun would be crying right about now, Minseok knows.

‘I felt like it wanted to show me something. And this was when I looked behind me. I realized I was being followed- not by figures, I’m guessing you see them in their corporeal forms, or at least what should be corporeal?’

Minseok nods.

‘I used to see shadows- almost like dust moving within dark water- inky darkness moving, overwhelming the lobby. It was…it was massive, something massive behind the darkness- I didn’t want to see it so I quickly moved through the door. Up to this point I used to see shadowy figures moving in the shadows within DK, forms slipping in and out- over the floors, crouching under desks and beds and chairs- slipping behind closets and shelves. But it was all gathered- concentrated behind me, pushing me to a certain direction. I’ve never been here before up to this point, but I knew that the kitchens and cafeteria should be in that direction. At the end were two doorways, one leading outside, to the car-park as well as back garden that did connect to the cafeteria. I could see outside, there was a glass window on the doorway, and it was splattered. It was raining, so I couldn’t see what was outside- but, maybe it was the rain, but something _slammed _into the door, a dark force pushing. The lights in the corridor I walked down started switching off, the darkness moving through it and I could its hands- just, so many hands.’ Kyungsoo stops, frown settling between his brows, eyes slightly glazed, caught up in his memory. ‘I went through the other doorway, the only way I could go. It lead downwards, to the basement.’

Baekhyun would 100% cry.

‘I ran down- I was shaking so hard, and it got colder, I think I might have been calling for help, but by the time I reached the bottom, I don’t know why, but I knew I should keep quiet,’ Kyungsoo continues with a small sigh. ‘And then a phone started ringing- it shook me so hard. I turned down the stairs and it lead into a narrow hallway, I’m guessing it’s a maintenance hallway or something, but at the very end there was a faint light from a bulb, and it was on top of a doorway. The door I just walked through down the stairs slammed open hard, and I could feel like I was being watched- making sure I walked through. But it didn’t want to come in- I was, I was confused I guess. It tried to scare me from where it was. I realized it didn’t want to come down, so I looked straight at it. All…all of its hands and forms,’ Kyungsoo grimaces, ‘I guess it was like…you know how in wet markets, when there’s too many fish in a small bucket?’

Minseok nods.

‘It was like that- too many of them. Writhing, shaking- but it couldn’t move out of their bucket, so to speak.’ Kyungsoo describes, ‘I didn’t know what to do- I didn’t want to go back up, and I didn’t want to move ahead either. But the phone kept ringing. I thought, maybe someone was there, a janitor maybe. Why else would the phone ring? So I ran. I reached the door and I knocked, I called out, fear overwhelming me at this point. I was crying I think, I don’t remember. But no one answered. The phone kept ringing, and I thought, maybe I can use the phone, call my parents or grandparents- so I made up my mind and I opened the door.

Inside it was filled with like, transformers and pipes and those big metal…I don’t know what you call those, like air-conditioning units and massive fans- machines and generators- it was extraordinarily loud, and I could hear the phone over it- much louder. In the center of the room was a desk, actually, several desks stacked, like it was forming a fort or something- and there was a light from inside, through the gaps in the desk stack- like a computer light. And inside I saw someone hunched over. I was so _so _scared- but I had to try, I thought maybe-‘

Minseok can’t really breathe, his whole being shivering, listening to every single word, his whole body screaming at Kyungsoo to run away- but this was-…this was in the past.

‘I called out to the figure, asking if I could use the phone. Then the figure turned, it stood- it stood so tall it hunched over, its back on the ceiling,’ Kyungsoo laughs. He actually laughs, ‘I guess the _janitor _in DK hostel was much much worse than the one Jongdae was talking about.’

‘What-‘

‘It was wearing a janitor uniform, I don’t know it made no sense to be honest and- it was just so _so _tall, its arms so long- and when it opened its mouth, the phone was ringing so loud. I ran out- I ran so fast but it came chasing after me- its hands grabbed on the walls to propel itself forward. I rushed up the stairs I tripped, I chipped my tooth when I fell,’ Kyungsoo adds, looking down with a frown as though _that _was the most annoying thing in this story. ‘I ran out into the back garden, I don’t know how I opened the door, maybe it was never closed. It was still raining, and it hunkered out, large elongated hands on the sides of the doorway.

I strayed around the hostel grounds throughout the night- the cooks found me in the back garden in the morning. I strayed in and out of consciousness, incredibly sick, for a solid week I think. Of course I was thoroughly disciplined but then everything became so _clear_. They weren’t just shadows I could sometimes see. I saw them so clearly- everywhere. I also saw light in people- not a lot, just some. I also kept seeing _it_. It kept watching me, following me. But after a few months, I didn’t see it anymore.’

Minseok is about to burst but he wants to know the full story.

‘I think a lot of what I can see now, is a result of the hostel- what happened that night,’ Kyungsoo tells him, fidgeting with his phone case cover. ‘I guess I’ve always had it, but it was heightened there. I learnt how to hide, I wasn’t…sure how to do it at first. But I eventually learnt.’

Minseok also learnt how to avoid being noticed- in Kyungsoo’s case, _seen_.

‘I-…Kyungsoo I don’t think you should go in there,’ Minseok tells him tentatively, ‘I don’t think it’s good for you. If you’ve had such an experience like this- if you’ve…this is not-‘

‘One of the main reasons why Zitao and I are friends, is because somehow I think in his subconscious he knew I helped him.’ Kyungsoo cuts across abruptly.

‘What do you mean?’ Minseok asks slowly.

‘We first shared a dorm room together, an accident from the administration as well as lack of rooms for certain ages- so Zitao was in my dorm room during my 3rd year there.’ Kyungsoo explains. ‘One night I woke up because I thought I heard sobbing. Which wasn’t uncommon actually- also a lot of children had night-terror, so it was honestly in a sense, not really anything new to me.

I turned in my bed and noticed that it was Zitao- he was sleepwalking- or at least was about to, so I stopped him. Got him back to his bunk and made him sleep again. But when I got back into my bunk, he was already at the door. So I quickly followed him- just barely got through the door before it closed. And then I realized that- that basically what was happening had happened to me too.’

‘The hostel was trying to take him down? To the basement?’

‘I didn’t want that to happen- so I grabbed Zitao as best as I could- even when we were younger he was a little taller than me,’ Kyungsoo snorts and then sighs, as though offended by this height difference, ‘He wouldn’t wake up- which was both a relief, but also worrying- I’ve been able to wake up other kids many times. Got them to somehow shake themselves awake, trigger them with sounds, something. But Zitao was…the hostel really wanted him. I saw them trying to take him downstairs, downwards.’ Kyungsoo explains, ‘I almost got onto his back, if I’m being honest. We fell down, and it was as though that was needed, Zitao started gaining awareness, like his eyes cleared up slowly. I managed to get him back inside, and for good measure I slipped in to keep him on the bunk.

And then, just as I started falling asleep, I heard the phone ringing- right above my ear, ringing so clear. But Zitao didn’t even flinch- the other boys didn’t stir- the phone kept ringing and ringing until the morning came.

And then after that- things got steadily worse, for me at least. They moved more against me, I guess in a way now when I think back- it was afraid of me? I can’t explain it if I’m being honest- just the hostel was _aware _of me, the way I was of it. Whatever that was, the phone ringing, that thing in the basement. I didn’t want Zitao to hear it- didn’t want him to be stuck in that situation where he would see it too.’ Kyungsoo hesitates before adding, ‘I was- I don’t know if the kids who went through what I went through remembered it- or if they even ran away I don’t know.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Not all the kids used to have this light around them,’ Kyungsoo points at Minseok. ‘Zitao’s was brighter when he was a child and…’

‘You’re saying that whatever it was, targeted kids with the uh, light? So Mrs. Son probably had a light?’

‘She still does- but it’s very faint,’ Kyungsoo tells him ‘Fainter than Zitao’s. I used to notice kids with the light, and how the same kid would suddenly not have it anymore. Like, it was completely gone. I even tried asking one of them once- it obviously didn’t work out that well,’ Kyungsoo scowls.

They sit in silence for a while.

‘You…do you think it will try to take Zitao if he goes?’ Minseok asks hesitantly.

‘I don’t know- and I’m worried- for Baek, Jongdae- for you too hyung,’ Kyungsoo confesses, ‘It’s why I came- and I knew that you could see- to what extent I didn’t know, and I knew that you were doing what you could to protect those dumbasses,’ he sighs though he says it fondly, ‘but this is-…it’s like there’s some form of sentient sedimentation, a manifestation of everything that has gone wrong there, in those ground, gathered, absorbing, and just _living _there. And I know it’s been a while since anyone’s lived there but-…I had to come.’

‘What do you suggest we do?’ Minseok asks, ‘We could just I dunno, find a way to stop this whole shoot. I’m sure I could find a way.’

Kyungsoo shakes his head before turning to address Minseok seriously, ‘I also came here because I want your help.’

‘You want to cleanse the place?’

‘Cleanse, banish- anything,’ Kyungsoo nods his head.

‘But maybe- maybe it’s not there anymore- nothing is feeding it anymore,’ Minseok tries.

Kyungsoo shakes his head.

‘How do you know?’

‘Because for almost a month now, every night right before I fall asleep, I hear the telephone ringing.’

*

If by some misfortune you walked out to the courtyard connecting the main entrance hall to the food hall alone, the Curly Boy with the lamp that changed colours followed you, keeping close enough to catch sight of him from the corner of your eye, the light of its lamp reflecting on the dark windows above you. Later, when you eat, his hand will curl on your thigh from under the table, a wide hungry mouth resting above your knee.

*

Zitao had managed to get Baekhyun and Jongdae to agree to do the “Say So” dance challenge for TikTok or something like that, and he was busy teaching them the moves. Kyungsoo had been bopping his head to the beat absentmindedly as he kept an eye on their footage files transfer.

And Minseok is-

Well he’s trying his best to grasp everything Kyungsoo has told him.

He’s not met anyone properly who was like him, other than his aunt, and briefly, that young boy Kim Taehyung. He’s never talked to anyone about something like this, with so much detail and explanation. And let alone the person was someone he knew.

There was _so much _to go through. With what he knew about the background, of the history of the place- this was probably a million times worse than the asylum, if you followed Jongdae’s numerical system.

That night Minseok reads through every single bit of detail regarding the location with more concentration. It’s past midnight, and everyone’s asleep and it’s pleasantly quiet.

Minseok quickly glances over at Kyungsoo, his phone light dim but illuminating his figure faintly.

_Minseok:_

_You’re awake?_

_Kyungsoo:_

_That Doja Cat song is annoyingly catchy_

_I can’t stop watching the performance versions_

_Minseok:_

_I don’t know why, but that’s incredibly cute_

_Kyungsoo:_

_Please don’t tell the other 3_

_Minseok:_

_My lips are sealed_

_Kyungsoo:_

_There’s even a Japanese cover of it_

_I might like it better, that’s my hot take of the day_

_Do you want it?_

_Minseok:_

_Sure why not_

_Kyungsoo:_

_Other than Doja Cat_

_And her catchy songs_

_Is there anything else?_

_Minseok:_

_Yeah actually_

_You said you could see a lot of them in the hostel right?_

_Kyungsoo:_

_Yes_

_Minseok:_

_How many? _

_Can you remember?_

_Or did they always change_

_Or not have any singular unique form?_

_Kyungsoo:_

_There are specific ones- like the one Mrs. Son was talking about_

_Even Mr. Son_

_His younger brother probably shone_

_Its why he had issues sleeping on the top bunk_

_Minseok:_

_Tell me about what I should keep an eye out for_

_Tell me about every single spirit you’ve encountered_

*

And if you were incredibly unlucky.

You would hear the hostel calling you.

You could ignore it sometimes.

But if it wanted to be heard, there was no choice.

So if you answered, you would find yourself in the heart of the hostel, standing before the doorway.

If you opened the door, you would find _it_.

*

Ma ma ma maiiiii Corona: _are we gonna ignore the fact that this is a genuine court case like this is a legit place with legit shit going on in it fuck wow also that background history??? No wonder its so creepy?? I’m soondoongie (??) all the way (is that what it is in this fandom? Is this a fandom?) and I don’t believe in ghosts but that’s not a nice place to be in, period_

Where there is a will, there is an iam: _serious question did anyone sue those assholes for running such a terrible place? Im pretty sure everyone, including Zitao, could sue for trauma, get some form of compensation this is **truly **appalling wow_

Mareete: _I hate everything about what is about to come. One good thing is that I can sleep well knowing this place will be torn down soon, all that black mold, I felt sick watching this episode _

minghaoFrogagenda: _they really weren’t kidding when they said this season finale was going to be their scariest – this episode is just an prologue we are not ready. Also shout out to Zitao I love him_

Tom Nook is Misunderstood: _ive been wondering what Zitao has been doing so secretively with his cryptic messages and clues and that say so tiktok was really throwing me all over the palce BUT THIS IS NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING TBH _

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _I know I’m loyal ™ to Baekhyun ubt Zitao…he’s…he’s really pretty_

AZC: _my prediction is that this episode is the calm before the storm _

Professional Procrastinator 3000: _was it just me or was this somehow depressing and also eye-opening, like I’ve never been to a hostel, and I’ve only ever heard of it as like, travel hostels? Like the place they’re staying in during this video? But this is just, a big no, I’m happy that they presented the whole history and background so respectfully but without glossing over anything with being dramatic or whatever, this was very educational!_

Studio NNG: _this is gonna be so good! Ps we should all do the say so dance one day_

Indigosalad: _omg I came here for the creepy horror but I’m staying for the cute boys??? This Do Kyungsoo is!!!! A good boy!!! He’s so squish!!! I love him!!!_

Incorrect Baekhyun Quotes: _never thought we would hear anyone blame capitalism for ghosts and supernatural hauntings but here we are_

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Notes)  
Hi  
Yeah this is a long chapter Hahaha but it is supposed to be their special season finales hehe  
Not that I’ll stop writing the chapters there’s more to come but yeah  
The story about the red children comes from Hongkong actually- my brother in law told me about it and I just adapted it as an additional presence for the story. There’s some sort of old advertisement shot in the early 90s in HKK and it had child actors in it. I think one of the kids in the ad died on set or something because of an accident, and the company still ran the ad, and apparently in the line up of kids, all their hands on the shoulder of the kid in front of them, like those, idk, kid-train game line up thing I guess?? The kid who died is there, but he’s completely red, his face blurred.  
Thanks BiL for that story  
Totally wasn’t traumatized by it when I first heard it  
Now all of us are!  
^_^  
The sick-bay/nursing room story is from my sister though  
And fun fact, the tall large hand janitor that you find at the source of a telephone riging is from a recurring dream of mine! *finger guns*  
Ehe  
AND  
JUNMYEON  
OUR LEADER  
OUR BEST BUNNY LEADER THIS MAN  
Okay real talk time  
Which one of y’all cried  
Its okay you can say it because I teared up no lie  
O2 is the kind of song you listen to on a road trip, early morning when the sky is somewhat still dark- when he sings ‘hold me tight, kiss me hard, show me where you want to go’ I was ready to give up everything for this man  
Starry Night is absolute art, I wish I could tattoo the song onto myself in musical form, like my tattoos would sing the song y’know????????? If I hear this live I will  
Idk what I will do or what will happen to me but  
Yeah  
And For You Now is just- *chefs kiss* I have always loved Younha’s voice and she is an absolute angel  
Also you’re welcome for that image of BaekChenTao doing the Say So dance challenge


	14. Unsolved Vlogs Season 2 Season Finale: The DK Hostel for Young Children Pt. 2

Minseok hates this.

‘I hate this!’ Baekhyun grins at the camera, eyes sparkling with both anxiety and excitement.

‘Wow the architecture is something,’ Jongdae remarks, one hand on a hip, looking around the estate as though he was looking to buy.

‘This is not the type of nostalgia I prefer or recommend,’ Zitao sniffs.

Minseok and Kyungsoo both share a look from behind their respective cameras.

It’s cold. Of course it is.

But it’s not alarmingly cold. Not in the way it was cold in Junmyeon’s childhood home. There is a definite heavy air- but not the same as the Asylum. Minseok’s skin prickles, feels eyes on him from every possible angle but he’s not sure if he’s just apprehensive after hearing what Kyungsoo had to say, or if it was actually what he was sensing.

They select a spot outside to sit and establish the main talking points of the hostel.

Minseok looks around the massive entrance lobby- clearly in its prime, this place would’ve been a very impressive lobby. All dark wood, heavy framed stairs, rich looking carpets, the windows were distinctly western and arched, and the light fixtures were brass and frosted glass. Minseok can see how parents who wanted their children to have a good experience in what appeared to be safe hands would buy into an establishment like DK. But now it’s faded and old, everything worn away with age, mold, dust, and damp. The smell is faint, but occasionally overwhelming for a brief second.

It hits Baekhyun first, who instantly makes a retching sound but stops abruptly, sniffing the air aggressively, eyes wide and pupils shaking as he says, ‘Oh my god, _odour-_spots.’

Kyungsoo sighs behind him.

‘Okay, so we’ll just go through each important location,’ Jongdae runs down their itinerary again. ‘We first set up in the entrance lobby, there Baek and I will talk through our main points. Then we head across the entrance into the study rooms and libraries. Then we track back, through the administrative offices, through the back entrance, to the back-gardens, and the cafeteria-slash-kitchens.’

‘We will also note where to place the cameras for our overnight footage,’ Minseok chimes in, ‘We will clear the first floor first, then proceed upstairs.’

‘Playrooms, nursery,’ Baekhyun shudders at that, ‘and then the dorm rooms, matrons rooms, and washrooms.’

‘And then one more time upstairs, to the final dorm rooms?’ Zitao completes.

Everyone nods.

‘Okay great,’ Baekhyun rubs his hands gleefully, nervously eyeing the building. ‘I am so excited.’

Minseok only just barely captures Jongdae’s expression of absolute disbelief.

Sitting on a couple of still remaining chairs pushed to the sides of the entrance lobby, Jongdae, Baekhyun and Zitao get ready for their practiced dialogue. Minseok and Kyungsoo place their cameras in the appropriate spots, and set up a quick lighting set-up. Lighting was tricky, considering the fact that these places couldn’t be prepped and set-up with complete lighting gear. The hostel also had most of their electricity cut off, only the lamps outside and a few emergency lights connected to a generator would be providing them with light here. They brought their own compact portable generators and chargers, but it would only be for these occasional stationary shots. Zitao had been super helpful in bringing his halo-lights, easily attached to their cameras using battery packs.

He did mention that he wanted to at least look good even if he wasn’t feeling all too good.

Priorities, Minseok guesses.

‘Hey, Tao-yah, Soo- no offence but your hostel sucks.’ Jongdae beams across at Zitao.

‘Not mine.’ Zitao mutters.

‘None taken.’ Kyungsoo waves a hand, eyes on the viewfinder of his camera.

‘Anyways!’ Baekhyun grins at the camera, ‘Welcome to this episode of Unsolved Vlogs!’

Minseok allows himself to exhale out quietly, allowing his mind to relax and remove all immediate thought. He was definitely worried about this trip. Even more so after Kyungsoo gave him the history of DK, his experience, and concern over everyone. He needed to remove himself from this state of fear- it would do nothing to actually help him.

Apprehension, anxiety, and fear often clouded and changed what you think you’re sensing. Minseok knows this all too well. When he was a teenager, and more aware of what he could see, hear, and sometimes even physically feel, it terrified him to the point where he developed genuine anxiety. He even thought he would hear or see things which he later realized was simply the manifestation of his fears. As an adult now, Minseok is better at controlling what he can see, hear, and feel.

Minseok preferred to live like this. But for this specific long trip, he would need to be alert, calm, and rational. 

It takes almost an hour to wrap up the entire the narrative, which Baekhyun and both Jongdae will later add to for voice-overs. It’s 4 in the afternoon now, and the shadows outside are starting to elongate just a little. Minseok has also managed to compartmentalize his mind, ready for the following two nights they would be here for.

‘There’s a surprising lack of graffiti and vandalism,’ Jongdae points out as they finish wrapping up their equipment from around the lobby. They preferred travelling light, so as to make sure nothing ever got lost or worse, stolen. And now with Kyungsoo with them, they could better distribute their gear.

‘Yeah- no one likes this place,’ Zitao explains as he leads the way down the lobby towards the massive stairs, flanked by mahogany archways leading into hallways on both sides. They would first lock in and safely set up a temporary rest-stop in one of the dorm rooms they had agreed on the previous day.

Jongdae and Zitao had gotten all of the keys and locks to the buildings, so they could deposit some of their heavier equipment, as well as the ones they wouldn’t immediately need for an overnight stay.

They climb up the stairs, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo in the back because Baekhyun wanted to film some behind the scenes shots.

‘Imagine dozens of children trampling up and down these stairs,’ Baekhyun remarks, ‘In a purely aesthetic point of view, I’d say it’s quite pretty.’

‘We were never allowed to run,’ Kyungsoo tells him, ‘Running equaled punishment- but dawdling meant punishment too. We had to maintain a strict and steady pace.’

‘I really think we should issue a warning before these episodes air,’ Jongdae comments, ‘I mean a lot of what we do and say and how we act is comedic-‘

‘-how are my fears comedic to you-‘

‘-but I think we could potentially touch on some troubling topics,’ Jongdae looks back with a serious expression, ‘Best keep a warning.’

‘Of course,’ Baekhyun huffs, ‘We’re not dicks like those YouTubers trying to gain views by being downright disrespectful and pretending to be apologetic.’

‘Besides, we’re Asian, we wouldn’t be able to get away with shit like that,’ Jongdae snorts.

‘Forget YouTube policy, our parents would have our heads,’ Baekhyun pants a little as he reaches the top. ‘Maybe except Minseok-hyung. I think my parents like him more than they like me.’

‘My parents love Kyungsoo more than me,’ Jongdae sighs.

‘Uh- sorry?’

‘Kyungsoo really out here, being the Standard for a son,’ Zitao sighs, posing tragically by the stairs before flinching a little and quickly moving away from the stairs.

‘What’s wrong?’ Baekhyun asks at once, hand reaching out to grab Kyungsoo’s sleeve, eyes widening.

‘No- it’s nothing,’ Zitao laughs a little at himself, looking back down the stairs, ‘I hated going on these stairs alone when I was here. Most of the kids hated walking alone- it’s why we always went in pairs or groups.’

‘Did you do that too Soo?’ Jongdae asks, pausing by the entrance leading to a long and uncomfortably dark hallway.

‘Yeah,’ Kyungsoo nods easily, also looking down, ‘No one really liked being here.’

‘Did you see something?’ Baekhyun asks, indicating to Minseok to have one of the cameras film this.

‘Didn’t see anything…just…’ Zitao pauses, looking back down the stairs. ‘God I really hate this place.’

There’s a hardened conviction to his tone. ‘It’s so-…so _loud_.’

Both Baekhyun and Jongdae give him curious expressions. For the two of them, the hostel was incredibly quiet.

But Minseok hears it too.

Hears the humming- the whispers, the loud shouts of bodiless voices calling out for each other overhead. 

‘Hey, I know I said this before, but anytime you want us to leave, we’re dropping everything and going, okay?’ Jongdae says, walking towards the lanky young man. ‘We don’t want anyone uncomfortable- or doing something they don’t want to do.’

Zitao nods before breaking out into a laugh, ‘Where does that leave Baekhyun-hyung?’

‘He’s a masochist,’ Jongdae says easily.

‘Hey! Take that back!’ Baekhyun snaps without any real threat.

They use the first room in the dorm hallway to set up camp. It was closest to the hallway and stairs, and was the best spot to access all of the different major entryways. The city council had also told them that the ground-level floors were drafty and damp, and none of them wanted to be sick.

They have two sets of keys; one is with Minseok, and the other with Baekhyun.

‘Okay- everything set?’ Minseok calls out, looking around the empty room, now cluttered with some of their hardware gear and camping items. They have two temperature-control carriers for their food and a carton of water bottles. Minseok and Jongdae, and then later Kyungsoo, had gone through their needed items with a metaphoric fine-tooth comb, packing any and everything. There’s several first-aid kits, but Minseok was carrying a smaller pocket-sized version on him all the time. You couldn’t be too careful after all.

They head downstairs again, ready to follow their trajectory. Kyungsoo and Zitao lead the way down, followed by Jongdae and Baekhyun, checking to see if their GoPros and body-cams were properly focused correctly.

Minseok stops by the top of the stairs calling out, ‘I’m doing a sound-test!’

‘Okay!’ they call back.

Adjusting his headphones over his head and adjusting the straps of his carrier, Minseok gives a thumb’s up.

‘Jongdae mic test, Jongdae mic test,’ Jongdae grins, going downwards, ‘Minseok-hyung is the cutest smartest mic test.’

‘Clear,’ Minseok rolls his eyes, waving Jongdae off.

‘Baekhyun mic test!’ Baekhyun poses at the end of the stairs, leaning on the massive bannister column at the end, ‘Minseok-hyung the sexiest camera and sound man mic test!’

Minseok slowly makes his way down, snorting at Baekhyun’s antics as he adjusts the straps on his shoulders, his equipment heavier than normal.

‘Zitao mic test,’ Zitao looks at both Baekhyun and Jongdae with amused disdain, ‘Hyung, can you hear me.’

‘Loud and clear,’ Minseok smiles, pausing on the stairs to twist a little, hoping to distribute the weight on his back a little more. Both Jongdae and Baekhyun loudly defend their methods to Zitao who has his arms crossed over his chest, looking at the two with amused judgment. Minseok grins at them before asking, ‘Everything loud and clear Soo?’

Kyungsoo is grinning at the three as well as he looks up at Minseok. But his smile freezes, eyes focused on something behind Minseok.

The timing is bad- Minseok was just about to start descending the stairs, when Kyungsoo’s focused gaze behind him combined with the sudden shift of weight on his back makes him lose his balance.

Minseok is luckily physically aware- he’s quick to shuffle down the stairs, tilting his weight and tugging himself to press against the wall.

There’s nothing behind him.

But the look in Kyungsoo’s eyes tells him the opposite.

‘Hyung!’ Baekhyun rushes up at once, ‘Are you okay?’

‘Yeah I just- the stairs are at a weird height?’ Minseok points at the stairs, ‘Somehow wider and higher.’

‘Yeah,’ Jongdae is frowning at the stairs like they personally insulted him, ‘Let’s all be careful!’

‘I’m fine,’ Minseok smiles at Baekhyun who links arms with him at once, as though afraid of leaving him alone.

‘Oh fuck, that just made me remember something,’ Zitao groans, ‘There were several accidents on these stairs when I was here. Hyung, do you remember?’ he asks Kyungsoo who gives a noncommittal shrug. ‘I think someone from a higher grade had tripped all the way down- broke his arm. And then two girls tumbled down- luckily no major injuries but they were hysterical. They left the hostel after that I think.’

‘Oh yeah,’ Kyungsoo nods while Zitao continues, ‘I heard some of the other students saying they had massive bruises- not the ones from the stairs, but what looked like hands.’

Baekhyun pales visibly, smile frozen on his face.

‘What a great segue way!’ Jongdae looks straight at his own camera, twinkle in his eyes. ‘Let’s begin!’

As planned, they start with the study rooms. There were 6 massive study rooms, and 2 smaller ones for the older students according to Zitao.

The large classrooms are dim, windows narrow and high- the desks are dilapidated but unmoved. There’s an organized but also strangely unhinged array of how everything is placed.

‘This is where the younger students would come to complete their homework after school,’ Zitao explains, walking over to the large chalk-board. There’s still several sticks of chalk along the board, the floors white with dust and grime.

Kyungsoo walks over to the opposite side of the room to capture another angle as Minseok stands by the doorway.

‘Maybe it’s the way it looks right now, but I don’t think I would be able to do any homework in here,’ Jongdae remarks, shining his flashlight to the ceiling. There’s massive stains- mold, water, general wear and tear. ‘Doesn’t inspire any academic spark.’

‘Woah wait-‘ Baekhyun holds his hand up. ‘Do you feel that?’

His hand waves a little over an area between a few desks.

Jongdae and Zitao walk over, hands stretching out.

‘It’s a cold spot,’ Baekhyun grins.

‘Oh yeah,’ Jongdae looks amused, ‘That’s actually a draft I think.’

But Baekhyun is hurriedly taking out his thermal camera and aiming it over the spot.

‘There’s nothing,’ Zitao remarks, staring at the screen displaying an array of colours, nothing out of the ordinary.

‘But it’s a cold spot!’ Baekhyun insists.

‘Uh- might be this?’ Kyungsoo pipes in, pointing at small vents lining up the floors and walls periodically.

Baekhyun’s face falls but he adds, ‘Okay you know what, I actually will accept that because if it’s logical, it’s not supernatural.’

‘Should put that on a t-shirt,’ Jongdae grins, winking at the camera.

They move to the next couple of study rooms, taking their time before coming to stop at the entrance to the library.

Minseok doesn’t really sense anything. It’s odd- he knows Kyungsoo saw something behind him on the stairs. Hell, Minseok _felt _it too. But he didn’t have any warning- any indication or the usual signs of something moving around him. It was extremely odd.

It’s only when they’re at the end of the hallway that splits towards the washrooms that Minseok is finally able to keep a finger on it.

The hostel felt frozen in time- not that it had been perfectly preserved. Rather, there’s a feeling- a sensation.

Like when you’re waiting for something- for someone maybe- and you’re holding your breath without realizing it.

This hostel was stuck _right there_\- it was waiting, for that final exhale.

It does nothing to soothe Minseok.

‘Okay, we can set up one camera here,’ Baekhyun points at a good spot where they could install one of their fish-eye lenses, allowing them a good view of the long hallway that then split down to the washrooms as well as the entrance to the library. ‘Then we can o_h my god!’_

Baekhyun wheezes, shuffling backwards.

‘What’s wrong!?’ Zitao shrieks, clutching Minseok tight.

‘Baek why are you trying to look into the women’s washroom,’ Jongdae snorts, pointing behind him that clearly indicated the men’s washroom.

‘Shit, that painting freaked me out,’ Baekhyun clutches at his chest, leaning back on the wall and pointing ahead.

Minseok quickly looks at Kyungsoo- to confirm his suspicions. Kyungsoo nods once behind his camera from where he stands.

‘Oh god, wow, this is terrifying,’ Baekhyun stands up straight again, approaching the wall.

Minseok rounds up the corner to find that yes, the painting Kyungsoo had told him about is there. The painted grinning face, pigtails and skirt- the eyes have completely faded, but the mouth is still somehow stark and vibrant, hands strangely and uncomfortably detailed in its gesture and texture.

‘There’s no painting here on the men’s washroom wall,’ Jongdae calls back to them, ‘You guys wanna cover that area? Soo and I will scan the washrooms here.’ 

Minseok gives him a thumb’s up, giving Kyungsoo a small smile to reassure him that he had things covered.

‘I only ever heard stories about this one,’ Zitao tells Baekhyun.

‘Hm? What do you mean?’ Baekhyun can’t quite look away from the crumbling faded mural.

‘This painting,’ Zitao nods at it, while redirecting his hand-held camera to it.

‘Does it talk like in Harry Potter?’ Baekhyun asks nervously, eyes flitting between the painting and Zitao.

‘Uh- well, no,’ Zitao says carefully, ‘But it’s uh- well, there’s this story in the hostel…I just remembered it actually.’

‘What is it?’

‘The girls used to talk about it- they said that at night, the painting sometimes vanished.’

Baekhyun pales, eyes wide, smile frozen on his face.

‘Ah- how…-how, uh, well-‘ he splutters.

‘I’ve never been on this side,’ Zitao laughs, turning his back to the painting and looking down the hallway. ‘Hyung, you should have a woman in your team- it’s 2020!’

‘Hey!’ Baekhyun huffs, ‘This wasn’t a _planned _set-up- Jongdae and I were just fooling around and now we’re here! We didn’t think we’d ever be approaching a women’s washroom!’

‘Does it still apply though?’ Zitao grins, walking towards the partially open door.

‘Oh I hate partially open doors,’ Baekhyun groans.

Minseok walks past the mural to keep up with the two, feeling a shiver run down his spine as he turns his back to it.

‘You know, I’m surprised that there are no rat droppings or cockroaches,’ Zitao comments, entering the washroom.

‘Yeah,’ Baekhyun frowns, looking around the closed stalls.

‘Hyung- I’ll buy us dinner if you open all of the stalls,’ Zitao teases Baekhyun, though he’s been steadily growing paler and nervous, sweat shining on his forehead.

Baekhyun looks straight at the camera and says, ‘At least this will be on camera.’

Taking many breaks in the process, Baekhyun opens all of the stalls. He’s crouching by the sinks, easing his nerves when they hear Jongdae calling for them.

The mural painting is still there as they walk past.

‘I think we should set up a camera on her,’ Baekhyun suggests to Minseok. Minseok nods to that- he would feel better keeping an eye on it.

Jongdae and Kyungsoo are waiting for them where the hallway splits.

‘Have fun at the ladies washroom?’ Jongdae wiggles his eyebrows.

‘It was an experience,’ Baekhyun sends a glare at Zitao who expertly avoids it.

They set up a camera pointing at the mural and entrance to the ladies washroom before finally entering the library.

‘Wonder what they’ll do with all of these books,’ Jongdae ruminates, squinting at the bookshelves as Kyungsoo makes his way to the end of the library for a wide shot. Minseok stands by one of the shelves to focus on the trio as they make their way fully inside.

‘Our librarian used to stay here,’ Zitao points at a long desk by the doorway. ‘I didn’t really like coming here too much.’

‘Understandable- now this place would definitely spark some academic inspiration,’ Jongdae declares before pointing at the ceiling, ‘Look at those designs!’

The ceilings did indeed have some very nice flourishing designs around the edges and light fixtures. Most of the windows in the hostel were boarded up, so even though it wasn’t entirely dark out, they still used their flashlights.

Suddenly Zitao lets out a high shriek, making Baekhyun scream in turn, and nearly making Jongdae throw his GoPro in surprise.

‘What?!’ Jongdae demands.

‘Shit!’ Zitao is crouching down, head down on his knees, ‘Fuck I thought-‘

He points a shaking finger at some of the books on the shelf he had been leaning on.

‘What do you m_ean-?!’_ Baekhyun also shrieks, jumping nearly a foot in the air. ‘_Why-‘_

Jongdae is laughing, leaning past the two shuddering young men to pull out a large book, the cover of which was a faded portrait of a young woman. It’s very realistic, her background dark and making it appear as though she was actually looking out at you between the books in the shelves.

‘Oh this is cruel,’ Jongdae laughs, ‘God, what a terrible cover. Imagine seeing this as you pull books out?’

Baekhyun shakes his head vigorously, backing away towards Kyungsoo only to shriek again, making Zitao scream again, covering his ears while Jongdae looks at the camera with a resigned sigh.

‘Is that- is that the fucking mural!?’ he backs away, shaking finger pointing at something past the shelves.

‘Hm?’ Jongdae jogs a little to catch up to Baekhyun while Zitao latches onto Minseok saying, ‘God I hate this place so much hyung.’

Minseok walks up to the two and redirects his camera and sure enough, the same crumbly and faded mural painting is faintly visible from behind a few empty bookshelves.

‘Is that a recurring theme around the hostel?’ Baekhyun asks Zitao who looks distinctly uncomfortable, eyeing the mural with apprehension, not wanting to let go of Minseok.

‘Fuck- fuck we should check to see if that mural is still there,’ Baekhyun wheezes out, face pale as he clutches Jongdae’s sleeve.

‘I’ll go!’ Jongdae volunteers cheerily. ‘Hey, if this thing moves this is actually pretty cool!’

‘Pretty cool?’ Zitao shudders, voice high-pitched.

Jongdae bounds out, and they all wait quietly.

‘STILL HERE!’ Jongdae yells. ‘How is this supposed to be welcoming?’ he adds, voice getting closer.

‘So there are two paintings?’ Baekhyun gingerly approaching the shelves behind which the mural was partially hidden.

‘Sounds like a great place to take Zitao’s interview!’ Jongdae grins at the tall young man as he returns.

‘I mean…might as well,’ Zitao sighs, palming his face.

‘This is a good shot here,’ Kyungsoo calls from where he’s situated not too far from them.

With a fidgeting Zitao sitting on a dusty chair, the library backlit behind him, they start on his interview. He relays what he’s already told them, only this time for the camera. They’ve rehearsed this already so it doesn’t take too long to finish.

‘Please, can we leave this library, I’ve been spooked enough in this one location,’ Baekhyun pleads.

‘Do you want a camera in the library?’ Jongdae asks him as Kyungsoo relocates himself to the doorway instead, framing their movement across the library.

‘Yeah- I think that’s a good idea,’ Baekhyun nods, nervously eying the place where the mural was located.

They quickly set up a motion-camera, pointing at the shelves with a clear view of the mural.

When they’re back in the main lobby, both Baekhyun and Zitao say they need a break; for various reasons. Jongdae grins and hands them both bottles of water and a mini chocolate bar.

‘I think this is one of the first times we’ve done such a thorough search,’ he remarks, also chewing a snickers bar.

‘Well- there’s a lot to cover,’ Baekhyun looks around, leaning heavily on Zitao who has his eyes closed, chewing diligently. ‘God, I don’t know how to describe it- I’ve been scared before- nervous; but the way this place feels.’

‘What do you mean?’ Jongdae asks, taking a gulp.

‘I dunno…just feels…’ Baekhyun frowns before he continues, ‘You know how, you watch a movie, and the main characters are doing some stupid shit-‘ Jongdae snorts, ‘-and you’re just waiting for them to do that _one _stupid thing that’s gonna fuck things up for them?’

‘Yeah?’

‘I feel like this whole hostel is just that one moment- that period of waiting,’ Baekhyun crumples the wrapper and keeps it in his pocket.

‘Well, regardless of anything,’ Jongdae grins, ‘It’s best we don’t do anything stupid.’

Zitao, eyes still closed, raises his one bite of snickers bars in the air in salute.

Nothing surprising happens after that. No strangely placed mural- no odd book cover. The matron’s offices, and tutors offices are ordinary and very dusty. The superintendent’s office is excessively splendid but bare. Zitao poses on the massive heavy desk for some random selfies, Jongdae and Baekhyun photo-bombing him the whole time. 

Kyungsoo gives no sign, no indication of discomfort as they reach the end of the hallway, pausing before the doorway that lead to the back garden.

‘What’s down there?’ Jongdae asks, pointing his flashlight downwards before adding, ‘Oh- it’s a dead end?’

This makes Kyungsoo frown, stepping into Minseok’s camera frame to look down.

And Jongdae is right. The stairs that lead downwards to the maintenance rooms Kyungsoo had told him about is not there. The stairs go down to some transformers, an open bare shelf, and coils of stiff wire.

Kyungsoo, for the first time, looks confused.

‘Is this really a back garden?’ Baekhyun asks, redirecting their attention. Minseok has to follow them; he’s unable to say anything to Kyungsoo. ‘It’s more like a slab of concrete and weirdly placed dirt piles.’

‘There were vegetable patches before,’ Zitao tells him, stepping out into the night.

It’s very quiet, the air is still. If this were summer, it would be unbearable.

He hears Kyungsoo shuffling out as well, setting up a camera at the doorway as they had agreed on earlier before walking around to catch a different angle as they carefully walk around the uneven grounds.

‘It’s not a very big building, but I think as a child, this place would be very imposing,’ Baekhyun remarks, looking around, shining his flashlight around the walls.

‘Wow- these gardens spread out,’ Jongdae whistles, shining his light out into the open.

The garden space is so wide, Jongdae’s flashlight doesn’t hit anything no matter what direction he aims it at.

‘Damn- this place really sucks at night,’ Jongdae remarks, shaking his head.

The rest of the night is not bad.

But it was now becoming increasingly strange- Minseok feels uncomfortable- like every corner they turn is going to be that moment. That drop- that _mistake _that Baekhyun had expressed so well. And Kyungsoo, though his expression is excellently schooled, he looks uneasy as well.

Jongdae also is a bit more subdued.

It’s with a strange sense of relief that they are done for the night and are back at the lobby. Zitao actually slumps almost immediately, groaning as he takes up the whole long dusty couch.

‘I don’t know about you guys, but I need to empty my bladder,’ Jongdae declares.

This reminds Minseok of something he’d been thinking about earlier.

‘Okay- we employ the buddy-rule for the night if we need to use the port-a-loo,’ Minseok announces, ‘It’s dark, the hostel is big, the grounds are dark, so it’s best we buddy-up. Is that clear?’

Baekhyun is very quick to agree before adding, ‘Can we employ the buddy rule when after we leave?’

‘I’m not touching your dick again to help you pee.’ Jongdae says immediately.

‘You have a really weird idea of what constitutes the _buddy _rule.’ Minseok frowns.

‘-what do you mean _touch your dick again_?’ Zitao demands, opening one eye.

‘I’ll go with you,’ Kyungsoo snorts.

‘Let’s empty our bladders together!’ Jongdae grins at Kyungsoo.

‘Why are you enthusiastic about peeing?’ Zitao demands though it’s more to himself.

‘UTI is a legit issue,’ Jongdae points a finger at Zitao, ‘Not that I’ve had it, which is why I’m grateful every time I pee.’

‘Sounds exhausting,’ Zitao remarks dryly.

Jongdae and Kyungsoo leave.

‘Okay so spend the night,’ Baekhyun closes his eyes, leaning back on the wall as well next to Zitao, ‘Then we go back to our original hostel, clean up, rest properly, and come back in the evening for the second night. Okay, cool.’

Zitao groans.

‘I’m kinda happy we’re spreading this over two nights,’ Baekhyun says quietly, ‘I dunno if you guys can feel it, but this place feels heavy- I dunno, it’s like- tiring.’

Minseok isn’t quite sure what he meant, because he wasn’t feeling that fatigue that normally came from exposure to places like this for people like him. Kyungsoo wasn’t displaying anything either. Was he relieved? Yes.

But somehow Zitao, Baekhyun, and Jongdae were very obviously tired. They looked drained, not making their usual jokes as they normally did.

Minseok goes through his phone, more to occupy his mind than anything else. Baekhyun and Zitao are talking to each other occasionally, both sounding sleepy though it was barely midnight.

Minseok goes through his footage, scrubbing along randomly, making sure he’d been recording the entire time. He looks up after a while, noticing that Baekhyun was almost dozing off, legs stretched out and feet crossed. Zitao had gotten up, and was standing at the center of the lobby, looking down the study room hallway.

He’s standing very still, no expression on his face. Minseok instantly checks the vicinity, carefully scanning the place for anything as he gets up too, making his way towards Zitao.

‘Tao? You okay?’ Minseok asks quietly, not wanting to spook the young man.

Zitao’s eyes are slightly glazed before he blinks a few times, looking down at Minseok.

‘Oh- yeah, no I just-‘

‘Oh my god did you see something?’ Baekhyun demands from where he’s suddenly sitting up poker straight.

‘No,’ Zitao laughs as he allows Minseok to direct him back towards the couches, ‘Just reliving some nasty memories in this place.’

Baekhyun makes his sad puppy face, standing and jumping a little to wrap his arms around Zitao and pulling him down to a hug.

‘You know that you’ve done well right? Look at you, all grown and adult and living a good life,’ Baekhyun beams up at Zitao, ‘You’re so much more than the bad memories.’

Zitao hugs Baekhyun back with a lot of force.

‘Thanks hyung,’ Zitao sounds small.

Minseok smiles at the two of them, his chest feeling warm at the sight.

‘Am I missing something?’ Jongdae asks as he and Kyungsoo appear through the doorway.

‘No!’ Baekhyun lets go of Zitao, ‘We were having a nice bonding moment!’

Jongdae holds his hands up as though in surrender, backing off with a comically offended expression.

‘Bladders emptied?’

‘Very empty,’ Jongdae holds up his thumbs. ‘Also, surprisingly clean port-a-loos.’

They lay out several yoga mats, courtesy of Zitao, before setting down their sleeping bags. They have several powerful camping lamps, and for about an hour or so, they set up a generator to charge up and plug in a few of their devices as they eat, mostly in silence.

‘What’s the worst thing you’ve heard about this place?’ Jongdae asks out of the blue before shoving in a whole roll into his mouth.

Zitao and Kyungsoo share a look, before Kyungsoo raises his eyebrows at Zitao as though to telling him to go ahead first.

‘I think it’s one of the first ones you hear about when you come here- from the other kids,’ Zitao fiddles with his chopsticks a little before reaching over to pick out a dumpling. ‘You know, none of the dorm rooms had locks from the inside.’

Baekhyun’s chopsticks hover before his mouth, the noodles inside his roll spilling out.

‘We could never lock the doors- and I kinda get it, safety and all,’ Zitao shrugs, ‘But there was that feeling of being vulnerable I guess- which is weird because I know at home I never locked my bedroom door. But uh, sometimes you’d wake up in the middle of the night and your door is open.’

Baekhyun’s eyes flit around the room, trying not to stare at the door that was open.

‘None of the bunks were empty- did one of the other kids open the door? Did someone forget to close the door behind them?’ Zitao looks thoughtful, ‘I used to wake up at night, and the door used to sometimes be wide open- once I even woke up in time to see it swinging as it opened…but the main story was that there was a man.’

Baekhyun’s eyes bulge open- even Jongdae stops, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

‘A tall thin man, who would come inside the rooms, to check on each student making sure they weren’t up to mischief,’ Zitao shudders just a little, ‘A cautionary tale of sorts I guess.’

Jongdae just continues to chew, eyes still narrow.

‘You heard the same thing?’ Baekhyun redirects the topic to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo takes his time with his cup noodles before he gives a short nod.

‘It’s why we didn’t like sleeping on the top bunks.’

Feeling full and with tiredness catching up to him, Minseok slips into his sleeping bag, very ready to sleep. Zitao and Baekhyun come back from visiting the port-a-loo, looking wind-blown and cold.

‘It’s very windy,’ Baekhyun whispers for no apparent reason.

‘Should we open or close the doors?’ Jongdae asks.

‘Please close it,’ both Baekhyun and Zitao say immediately.

Jongdae playfully captures Minseok’s feet between his own, sleeping opposite him in the room. Next to Minseok is Baekhyun, and opposite him are Zitao and Kyungsoo.

‘Should we keep one lamp on?’

‘I think that’s a good idea in general,’ Kyungsoo rumbles.

‘Remember the buddy rule,’ Minseok gets out tiredly, eyelids feeling heavier and heavier.

He barely hears the goodnights thrown about and he’s out.

When he wakes up again, quite suddenly- feeling as though he’d only closed his eyes for a few seconds. He’s also sitting up.

He realizes he’s feeling oddly too warm, which was probably why he woke up in the first place. His shoulders were also aching; which wasn’t an uncommon occurrence after lugging around cameras and equipment the whole day. Unzipping his bag, Minseok lets in some cool air before leaning back into his pillow. Checking his phone, Minseok notices it’s very early- almost 5 in the morning.

Everyone was clearly asleep, some light snoring coming from Jongdae’s form, his sleeping bag containing his usually spread out sleeping form. The whole night is overwhelmingly quiet.

The door was still closed- some relief settling in him at the sight.

He rolls over onto his side, his back to the door. Baekhyun’s facing him, mouth slightly open, one arm flung out of his bag. Minseok reaches over to place his hand back over the yoga mat before closing his own eyes.

When he wakes up again, it’s to Kyungsoo shaking him awake.

‘Hm?’ Minseok sits up blearily, yawning hard at once.

‘Morning hyung,’ Kyungsoo crawls over to the empty mat Baekhyun had left behind to slump close to Minseok.

Sitting up, Minseok looks around. The door is half open, and both Jongdae and Baekhyun weren’t there.

‘Sleep okay?’ Minseok asks Kyungsoo quietly. Zitao was still asleep.

Kyungsoo shrugs, temporarily transforming into a worm as he squirms about.

‘Anything?’ Minseok asks as Kyungsoo leans over to collapse over his lap.

‘Nothing,’ Kyungsoo mumbles back, ‘Didn’t even hear _it _during the night.’

‘Huh,’ Minseok mumbles quietly. He hears the doorway open downstairs, Jongdae and Baekhyun were probably leaving the lobby. ‘Maybe…maybe things have…gotten better?’

Kyungsoo exhales, adjusting himself a bit before saying, ‘I want to say that but…I don’t know- I just won’t feel relaxed until after we leave.’

Minseok nods to that.

‘I wonder if I…if I actually really saw anything at all,’ Kyungsoo says quietly.

‘What do you mean?’

‘…I’m just…I don’t know.’ Kyungsoo sighs out. ‘I’m questioning things I guess.’

‘You saw something. Behind me,’ Minseok says quietly, eyes on Zitao’s sleeping form.

Kyungsoo nods.

‘What was it.’

‘There were hands on your shoulders.’

‘I thought something felt heavy,’ Minseok tells him quietly. ‘But…but other than that- I don’t know, I didn’t…I didn’t feel anything more than out of the ordinary.’

Kyungsoo’s answer comes after a long pause, ‘Me too.’

Minseok continues to comb through Kyungsoo’s hair gently.

‘Are you…is this because of the basement?’

‘Yeah.’

‘It was closed off. Do you think it was sealed off?’

‘I don’t know- I…I obviously never went back there.’

‘Of course.’

‘And I just-…did I…_imagine _all of it?’ Kyungsoo asks. ‘Like…did I just…just dream up everything- reimagined what was clearly a terrible part of my childhood into something…something supernatural so that I had…I had something to blame?’

There’s a low buzzing sound- a phone vibrating.

‘Is that yours?’ Minseok asks.

‘No-‘ Kyungsoo shows him his phone, retrieving it from inside his sleeping back.

Zitao turns in his sleeping bag, groaning a little before he asks, ‘Is it tomorrow already?’

‘Well, it’s 8 in the morning,’ Kyungsoo offers the lanky young man as the vibrating stops. Zitao groans, rolling over onto his back and says, ‘It stinks.’

Kyungsoo laughs, stretching out properly over Baekhyun’s mat. A phone vibrates again.

‘Ugh,’ Kyungsoo groans, ‘Baekhyun’s phone is so loud even on vibrate mode.’

Zitao laughs, pushing back his hair as he sits up groggily, ‘Doesn’t that describe him perfectly though?’

Kyungsoo laughs, reaching over to his mat for his glasses.

Minseok sits up properly, pushing himself out of his sleeping bag completely, shivering a little as he does so. This was polar opposite of earlier that morning. He’s reaching for his folded hoodie when the door downstairs slams.

Both Zitao and Kyungsoo flinch.

‘What the fuck?’

‘Hyung?’ they hear Jongdae yell.

Electrified, Minseok leaps up. He rushes for the partially open door and rushes out to the hallway. Jongdae is halfway up the stairs, hair a mess, toiletry bag swinging wildly in one wrist.

‘What’s wrong?’ Minseok demands at once, uncaring that his feet were bare.

‘Is Baekhyun with you guys?’

‘What no-‘ Minseok’s skin is crawling- suddenly everything is so _so _loud.

‘What’s going on?’ Kyungsoo and Zitao appear, eyes wide awake and nervous.

‘Where’s Baek?’ Jongdae sounds afraid.

‘He- I thought you both went to the port-a-loo-‘ Kyungsoo begins but his eyes widen, turning to gape at Minseok.

‘I tried calling him-‘

‘-his phone is here-‘

They all stare at each other before Jongdae yells loudly, ‘BAEKHYUN!’

There’s no answer.

‘Okay- okay,’ Minseok breathes in, ‘Team up- everyone wear shoes- flashlights- Kyungsoo, Tao-yah, take this hallway- Jongdae and I will take the other.’

‘BAEKHYUN!’ Jongdae yells again, sprinting into the hallway of the dorms.

‘Fuck- hyung-‘ Kyungsoo grabs his arm, ‘I don’t think he’s on this floor we should look downstairs-‘

‘What- what is it-‘ Zitao demands, eyes wide and nervous.

‘We should check downstairs,’ Kyungsoo says instead, haphazardly tying his laces, ‘Come on.’

Jongdae sprints past, heading for the opposite hallway. Minseok quickly catches up, calling their friend’s name loudly. He hears Zitao and Kyungsoo rushing downwards.

‘BAEKHYUN!’ Jongdae yells again, slamming doors open.

There’s no response.

Minseok tries to think- where could Baekhyun have gone. He was too scared to do something like head out by himself. Baekhyun was the type who insisted on the buddy-rule even when they had gone to investigate Sehun’s dance studio even though it was unnecessary. He even employed the rule long after they left a location for days.

The dorm halls are empty- each room forlorn and dark.

They turn back, sprinting towards the stairs.

But Jongdae stops abruptly, turning to face Minseok, making him stop.

‘Dae?’

‘Fuck,’ Jongdae wipes at his face, ‘Hyung, are you sure this isn’t some dumb trick Baek is trying to play?’

There’s desperation in his tone- as if he _wants _this to be a prank.

‘What if he fell through somewhere-‘ Jongdae stops himself.

‘Hey, come on,’ Minseok crouches down next to him, holding his face up in his palms, ‘We just keep looking okay? Don’t let this overwhelm you. If we don’t find him in 10 minutes, we call the police and an ambulance.’

Jongdae inhales deeply.

‘I’m going to kill him when we find him.’

Minseok kisses his forehead and pulls him up. Jongdae doesn’t let go of his hand as they descend downwards.

‘Baek!’ Jongdae yells again. Kyungsoo and Zitao appear downstairs, exiting the hallway that lead to the basement.

Zitao stops, staring up at them, doing a double take before he asks, ‘Anything?’ Kyungsoo runs past him into the study room hallway.

Minseok shakes his head as they get to him, ‘None of the dorms had any sign of anyone being there-‘

‘Here!’ Kyungsoo yells. ‘HERE!’

Jongdae is sprinting at once towards where Kyungsoo had gone. Zitao and Minseok rush after him.

Nearly crashing into one of the camera they had placed in front of the library doorway, Minseok turns the corner of the smaller hallway, just noticing the sign for the washrooms, Zitao right behind him. Jongdae is already on his knees, panting besides Kyungsoo and Baekhyun who was sitting up, looking very disoriented and sleepy.

It was the ladies washroom.

The one with the mural.

Minseok can’t find it in himself to look at the mural- at the smiling eyeless face, faded pigtails and directional gestures.

Suddenly his neck feels stiff- a cold weight pressed down on his shoulders heavily.

‘What happened?’ Baekhyun is asking, voice slightly distant as Zitao kneels before him. Jongdae’s worried voice is warped and his vision momentarily swims- only Kyungsoo’s bright form illuminated for a brief second.

It’s overwhelming- suddenly, as though a veil was lifted, as though that final breath was exhaled- everything rushes at them. And-

And he can _feel them behind him._

Feel them all gathered, watching. _Warning. _

‘Hyung!’

Kyungsoo looks at him and Minseok can move again.

Baekhyun doesn’t seem injured. There’s nothing on him- no imprint, no shadow- there’s nothing on him.

‘Oh my god was I possessed?’ Baekhyun asks hysterically, massaging a stiff neck as Zitao hugs him tight.

‘Oh for fuck’s-‘ Jongdae curses under his breath before palming at his face, ‘He’s all right!’

Kyungsoo laughs- how he’s able to, Minseok isn’t sure. He can still feel all of them behind them. Watching.

_Warning_.

*

Baekhyun is hysterical when he finds out that- well. He has no idea how he ended up downstairs, in front of the ladies washroom.

So they obviously watch the footage at once, syncing the files to one of the laptops and scrubbing down the timeline.

‘Ooh orbs-!’ Baekhyun says rather hysterically.

‘Not now,’ Jongdae says curtly. Baekhyun lowers his head.

Minseok knows that as head cameraman, he should be recording this part right now but he’s too preoccupied. However, Zitao is filming this on _his _expensive phone (with shaking hands) so Minseok doesn’t have to worry too much about the footage quality. Maybe it was useful after all that the youth of today were so quick to whip out their phones.

‘There!’ Baekhyun points out and Kyungsoo stops.

Baekhyun looks casually awake, getting out of his sleeping bag with his usual mannerism. He stretches a bit, yawns, and then he stands up. He makes his way around the dorm room, stepping clumsily over Minseok’s unconscious form, and outside. They sync up the time in the other footage and they catch him making it down the hallway.

Baekhyun’s eyes are open, that much was clear to see.

At the stairs is when Minseok notices something odd.

Baekhyun’s right arm is swinging but his left is rather stationary. His fist was loosely curled, as though holding a hand.

They watch him make his way down the stairs, turning with purpose as he enters the study room hallway, straight forward and turning easily in front of the library. He looks completely normal- Minseok can’t see anything strange about this situation.

‘Here- this camera feed,’ Minseok says, connecting the camera’s drive to the laptop quickly. Kyungsoo expertly navigates the folders before pulling up the recorded footage. It’s the one they placed outside the ladies washroom.

Baekhyun appears, casually striding along before stopping in front of the mural.

He doesn’t even look at it, hand still loosely held in an odd grasp. Then, as though it was completely normal, he places himself down on the floor and promptly sleeps. They fast forward the footage, watching in silence, just interrupted by Baekhyun’s loud fast breathing. But Baekhyun on the footage just continues to sleep, light slowly building up.

Then Kyungsoo rushes in, making Baekhyun stir.

‘So.’ Zitao says slowly. ‘Uh.’

‘Let’s get going,’ Jongdae says, getting up. ‘Let’s pack up, head back, we’re done for the episode.’

Baekhyun just gapes, looking at the laptop, and then back at Minseok, and then Kyungsoo.

They don’t say much as they pack up.

Jongdae is clearly upset, Baekhyun anxious and confused, Zitao hesitant and nervous. Kyungsoo moves quickly and methodically, not saying much either.

And Minseok.

Suddenly Minseok can _hear _them.

And to his absolute disquiet, suddenly he can _see _them.

‘Hyung, shall I take this for you?’ Zitao asks, turning to pick up one of the cases that held their more sensitive gear by the doorway. Minseok looks up, his eyes flitting in what he hopes is not a noticeable way at the elongated tall figure right outside the doorway Zitao was standing by.

‘Yeah um thanks-‘ Minseok begins but doesn’t know how to stop him. But the elongated figure, its head blocked by the doorpost, simply walks past before Zitao turns and exits the room.

Minseok quickly picks up the remaining things in the dorm room and steps out. Down the long hallway, Minseok spies the elongated man slowly shuffling down, pausing at every doorway.

At the staircase, a row of children are waiting for him. Their hands on the shoulders of the child before them. They all stare up at him and Minseok immediately looks away.

Minseok tightens his metaphoric belt and speeds down the stairs. He hears giggling behind him, breathless pants as though catching up to him. Kyungsoo is at the doorway, brow furrowed and glancing between Minseok and the stairs. But he doesn’t say anything.

‘Last tripod is near the library,’ Jongdae says as he comes back in to help Kyungsoo lug back the heavy generator crate. Kyungsoo looks like he wants to go with him but doesn’t want to raise suspicion.

Minseok says in his best stable voice, ‘I got it.’

‘I’ll wait for you hyung,’ Zitao smiles, coiling up the last of their long cable into neat loops around his forearm.

Minseok nods in thanks and heads down towards the library.

Each doorway he passes is blocked by figures- he doesn’t look at them, doesn’t acknowledge their presence. At the end of the hallway, standing right next to the doorway is a young woman, brown skirt, hair tied away with a red scarf, knotted to the side. Half of her is visible, simply watching Minseok approach. But Minseok is concentrating only on the tripod, already taken apart and leaning against the wall. Minseok picks up the tripod and turning, finds that the mural has moved, wide grinning mouth leering at him from the wall opposite him.

Minseok doesn’t increase his pace, doesn’t attempt to run- he simply walks ahead, tripod tucked under his arm. Zitao is waiting for him, a small regretful smile on his face.

‘Is uh- will Jongdae-hyung be okay?’

‘I think he was just very worried,’ Minseok tells him quietly, ‘And well- he doesn’t really know how to deal with it. Don’t let it get to you. They’ll talk it through, they never argue for long, they’re good like that.’

‘Does…does Baekhyun-hyung frequently sleep walk?’ Zitao asks as they lug out the last cases to the steps outside. They were waiting for the van they had hired for this very purpose. They were a tad early, but no one argued leaving the building.

‘Not to my knowledge,’ Minseok shakes his head, huffing out a breath as they pause a moment, looking out to the gateway down the driveway. Baekhyun was on the phone, talking, his back turned to Jongdae and Kyungsoo who were stacking up their stuff to make it easy to put into the van once it comes.

Zitao sighs.

‘I feel like this is my fault.’

‘It’s not,’ Minseok tells him firmly. ‘Don’t feel guilty about this. Jongdae’s reaction was…it was odd. He’s normally very level-headed, he doesn’t normally behave like this. If at all.’

‘But I brought up this place, convinced them to come here and-‘ Zitao looks genuinely torn up. ‘And now Baekhyun just- just started sleepwalking out of nowhere and-…and now Jongdae-hyung is mad- and Kyungsoo’s been uncomfortable ever since this started- I know he’s here because well-…I know it’s different for him here.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I don’t-…really believe, in ghosts and stuff,’ Zitao tells him hesitantly, like he’s afraid that Minseok will laugh at him, ‘It’s spooky, I spook easy…but uh- I know that Kyungsoo can…sense things differently? He’s sensitive. He’s always been like that.’

‘Oh.’

‘Yeah but uh- don’t say I said this. But I think this place isn’t very nice for him and well…I feel bad he got roped into this too- I know he tried to protect me while we were here…- and I don’t really know what he did- or what he thought…he had to do. So much of this place is just so…so _dark_\- when Kyungsoo appeared I thought for a moment he-…he wanted to end this too. Put this all behind us, once and for all.’ Zitao shrugs a little, ‘And this just- I dunno, I feel like this is somehow…this just proves everything we both feared.’

‘What’s that?’

‘I guess…it just proves somehow that this place just…’ Zitao looks back at the doorway, ‘It just doesn’t want to let us go.’

Minseok takes his hand and squeezes it gently.

‘We’re all here out of our own choice- we wanted to look into this place, you don’t have to feel bad about this, okay?’

Zitao nods.

‘I’ll lock up,’ Minseok ruffles Zitao’s un-styled hair.

Minseok walks up to the door, taking out the keys from his pocket to secure the main lock as well as the padlock outside. Fumbling, Minseok drops the keys. Quickly picking them up, Minseok grabs the door only to come across a man standing inside.

His back is turned to Minseok.

He’s wearing some sort of uniform- there’s something in his hands but Minseok can’t quite make it out.

Stiffly he slowly turns- in the process his body stretches unconventionally, thinning rapidly. He turns his head and Minseok quickly swings it shut.

But it’s not quick enough to shut off the trill of a telephone ringing.

*

‘I want to finish the episode.’

Minseok, Kyungsoo, and Zitao stand awkwardly at their own hostel room.

Minseok had just stepped out of the shower, hair still very wet, one foot still in the bathroom, when he comes across Baekhyun and Jongdae standing off.

Jongdae has an uncharacteristically irritated expression on his face.

‘Did you fake it?’ Jongdae asks Baekhyun seriously.

‘I didn’t!’ Baekhyun exclaims empathetically. ‘I did not fake _sleepwalking in a fucking building I am terrified of!_’

‘That’s why I’m worried!’ Jongdae gets out, ‘You _never _sleepwalk! We have slept at god knows where before and you’ve _never _slept walked before!’

‘I am sorry for worrying you- I can assure you it was _not on purpose_,’ Baekhyun hisses out.

‘All the more reason for us not to go back. We don’t even have to air this episode- we can just say there was an issue with the site- that the council stopped us-‘

‘No.’ Baekhyun says firmly. ‘I want to go back, complete what we set out to do. Because it’s our job- we committed, we planned- we-‘

‘Do you even know-‘ Jongdae stops himself, taking a deep breath. ‘Baekhyun, think of this in my point of view for a moment. The floorboards could be rotted, I didn’t even-! and I-!’ Jongdae wipes at his face again before he crouches down.

‘I’m sorry for worrying you,’ Baekhyun says quietly, stepping in to squat down next to Jongdae. ‘I’m so _so _sorry.’

He pulls Jongdae into a tight hug.

Minseok eye signals both Kyungsoo and Zitao and they slip outside.

‘So-‘ Zitao says hesitantly. ‘I uh- I dunno if it’s my place to say this but- I uh, wanna complete the episode too.’

Kyungsoo nods, though he’s hesitant too.

And Minseok understands. He’s wondering if he can somehow get time to speak to Kyungsoo alone- maybe he could tell him what he saw in the last hour of their stay in the hostel- maybe the two of them could contact his aunt, ask her for advice. Hell, maybe Minseok could even contact Taehyung and his uncle because this could definitely fall under some sort of strange necromancy or shamanism. Would the eggs trick work here because destroying the place and building up something new might not work. Whatever was wrong with the place was a very sentient force that purposefully blocked Minseok out. It clearly staged whatever strange sleepwalking Baekhyun went through, to somehow rile them all up- affecting the one person who probably regarded the whole situation with little to no seriousness. It had managed to catalyze a reaction in all of them- easily sparking hysteria in Baekhyun, nervous and anxiety in both Kyungsoo and Zitao- and then displacing Jongdae’s level-headedness.

It was dark, powerful, cunning- and it was _hungry_.

And Minseok can understand why both Zitao and Kyungsoo wanted to do something about this place.

There was something that seemed to keep pulling them back- it applied to both the Son’s they interviewed too. How they still seemed to carry a strange weight that they gained while in DK.

Suddenly they hear laughter.

They all stare at each other, not sure what to do.

They wait a few more minutes before Jongdae opens the door, behind him Baekhyun. And to everyone’s surprise, Jongdae pulls Zitao into a hug.

‘I’m not angry at you, I don’t blame you,’ Jongdae tells him. Zitao’s lower lip trembles. ‘I was worried and afraid, and then I expressed it in a very dumb way. I’m not mad at you, okay?’

Zitao hugs him back hard.

‘So!’ Baekhyun grins at them, ‘We’re continuing with our plan!’

Minseok is both happy to hear this, and also apprehensive. He needs to be able to talk to Kyungsoo before they get back.

Zitao cheers.

‘Baek was right,’ Jongdae explains, ‘I was- uh, I reacted badly-‘

‘-understandably,’ Baekhyun interrupts, leaning in to squeeze/hug his best-friend.

‘-and I displayed it in a way that was immature and not at all healthy, regardless of the fact that, well, I was really strung up,’ Jongdae looks sheepish. ‘And I _do _want to complete this episode too. I’m sorry you guys, for making this difficult.’

He’s bombarded with hugs- which they have to awkwardly break for a few other hostel-ers living on the same floor as them.

Kyungsoo goes back to transferring and saving the files, tagging specific clips in advance to follow their main narration. Zitao takes a nap next to him, and Baekhyun orders them a massive meal. Minseok heads back to the bathroom to dry his hair. The mirror is fogged up, so he quickly wipes down the condensation as he starts up the dryer. He pauses, his eyes catching on something under his t-shirt’s collar.

Quickly, he pulls back the neck of his shirt and on his shoulders were bruises- slightly faded, but quite clear against his skin. Pulling the neck back more, Minseok notes, to his horror, that they’re shaped like hand-prints.

The door slides open wider and Minseok hurriedly lets go of his collar, redirecting the hairdryer to his head as casually as he could. Jongdae beams at him through the gap of the doorway.

‘Hey hyung,’ Jongdae slides up next to him.

‘Oh god, what,’ Minseok switches off his hair dryer, facing Jongdae.

He suddenly leans in and presses a kiss on his forehead.

‘Thanks for being such a good hyung,’ he grins, ‘I nearly lost my shit- and you helped me remain calm. Thank you.’

Minseok quickly waves his hands, pushing Jongdae back a little, ‘Yes yes, that’s what I’m here for.’

Jongdae hugs him tight and lets go before pushing Minseok out of the bathroom saying, ‘Also I need to pee!’

*

‘Damn we really back,’ Baekhyun grimaces at the building.

Minseok’s stomach churns, doing his best not to look at the faces looking down at them from the windows.

They were waiting. Definitely waiting. They ignored the warning- although it couldn’t really be considered a warning as Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Zitao weren’t aware that what happened to Baekhyun was supposed to be a warning.

It’s a little later than when they started.

‘I mean we could always-‘

‘I am not complaining!’ Baekhyun stomps his feet before facing Minseok’s camera, ‘I am so ready!’

*

‘I am not ready,’ Baekhyun wheezes, clutching at his chest as Jongdae takes his turn to spend 2 whole minutes alone in the furthest dorm room on the third floor. Jongdae chose this place as where he wanted to spend 2 minutes alone.

Zitao would do his in the dorm room he had spent most of his childhood in, and Baekhyun would be spending time in one of the nurseries.

Minseok is relieved when nothing happens during these moments of solitude. Or at least, nothing he can immediately see.

Because Minseok is on edge.

Every single corner they turned, every hallway, corridor, room, office- any place they entered or left would instantly crowd with forms and faces just out of Minseok’s immediate sight. Kyungsoo is rigid- his back poker straight, his jaw tense, his eyebrows furrowed.

They’re just watching- _waiting_.

Not all of them try to approach them- but a few try. 

Jongdae casually walks down another washroom, intently discussing how impractical the tiles were in hiding dirt when Minseok spots it.

A huddled mass of shapes- Minseok is barely able to distinguish their forms but he knows that there are three of them. He can hear Baekhyun talking to Kyungsoo’s camera in the washroom opposite the one Jongdae was investigating. Zitao is explaining that this washroom was especially unused by most of the students- especially at night because none of the light fixtures ever worked properly and the toilets wouldn’t always flush.

Jongdae is listening to disgusted interest, leaning against one of the sinks, nodding to Zitao’s story and it starts to move.

It slides under the space of the sinks- for a moment, Minseok thinks it might just stay put there. Their hunched forms were just a bit too tall to fully crawl under the space in their crouched form. But he’s mistaken.

The crouched figures glide, heads hitting the u-bend of the sinks with thuds that resemble gurgling sounds. Jongdae pauses, a small frown on his face as he looks around. Zitao also turns where he’s standing, looking disturbed at the sounds.

The figure is right by Jongdae’s legs and Minseok is starting to sweat profusely.

‘The pipes?’ Jongdae tilts his head in interest before squatting down, nearly eye level with the crouched figures now just one sink away from him. ‘Old plumbing can definitely cause creepy sounds- especially if they were so backlogged as you said.’

From the figures, a hand extends out slowly, cupped in a c-shape and the dark mass of figures splits to form a gaping maw of a mouth.

As though it was trying to whisper something, getting closer and closer to Jongdae’s tilted head as he, in earnest, tries to listen to the pipes.

‘Hey guys! It’s the fucking mural again!’ Baekhyun shrieks.

Jongdae stands just before the crouched figures touch him and Minseok has to stop himself from pulling his friend out of the washroom.

When they go to where Baekhyun and Kyungsoo are, they find that yes indeed, the mural is there. It’s the exact same- no change in chipped paint, stains, or even the way the eyes are faded and the mouth vivid.

‘Damn I just-‘ Baekhyun shudders, ‘I just really hate this mural- fuck, sorry for swearing but-‘

They all stop talking- eyes flitting to one of the hands, pointing to the right as a guide for women looking for the washrooms. The hand had previously been pointing straight, in all of it’s uncomfortable detail despite the whole mural looking quite cartoon like.

But now, the hand was pointing downwards.

‘So…’ Baekhyun whimpers breathlessly, hand shaking as he holds his GoPro towards the mural. ‘Did uh- did you guys uh- catch that?’

‘Uh-‘ Zitao’s voice is high-pitched and he’s pressed up against the wall.

Jongdae is frowning, wary but doubtful. He walks up the painting and gingerly touches the painted hand.

‘What are you doing?!’ Baekhyun squeaks.

‘Maybe the paint is, I dunno, like, chipped and loose?’

‘You definitely saw it move didn’t you!?’ Baekhyun demands, now inching a little closer as Jongdae investigates it.

‘I mean, I wasn’t really looking at the hand to be honest,’ Jongdae trails off, ‘But I know the one downstairs is pointing straight?’ Jongdae asks, looking back at the camera.

‘It is,’ Zitao nods.

‘Okay- Soo and I will go check on the mural downstairs and we’ll be back!’

Baekhyun looks light-headed, slumping on the wall next to Zitao, both of them nodding mutely.

‘You okay?’ Baekhyun asks Zitao.

‘Sure, never better, of course I’m great,’ Zitao responds.

‘Hyung, keep pointing the camera at that spot- we should set up a camera here- just on this mural,’ Baekhyun says, ‘I’ll uh, use my GoPro- we could prop it here.’

With shaking hands, Baekhyun uses his own GoPro to securely prop the camera one of the sinks.

Jongdae and Kyungsoo come back a few minutes later, slightly breathless from trekking up the stairs.

‘It’s pointing forward,’ Jongdae confirms, ‘Maybe this was just always like this?’

‘But- but didn’t we all see it move?’

Zitao looks confused, so does Baekhyun.

‘I think maybe what happened is, we were all aware of the difference in this mural at the same time,’ Jongdae concludes.

Baekhyun looks straight into the camera and asks, ‘Did anyone see it move?’

They move on with some difficulty. They’re all very paranoid at this stage, and doing their best not to lose composure. Jongdae is fidgety- something he’s normally not in any episode shoot. Baekhyun is increasingly more agitated, unwilling to separate for any reason.

It’s with extreme relief that they wrap up their investigative shoot and trek down to their over-night camp site.

‘I need to retire after this,’ Baekhyun groans, slumping on his mat.

‘This is a genuinely terrible place,’ Jongdae mumbles, leaning all the way back to lay down on his mat.

Dinner is a quiet affair. Everyone appeared to be lost in their own thoughts, sort of mindlessly chewing and looking around blankly. Minseok doesn’t even realize he’s doing it until Kyungsoo asks him to join him to do a final check on all of their cameras they would be leaving overnight.

‘This place,’ Kyungsoo says as they go down the stairs, sticking close to the wall. ‘It drags you down.’

‘Yeah I’m noticing that,’ Minseok replies quietly, glancing behind him briefly to note that yes, little figures were following them down.

‘They’re all out now,’ Kyungsoo sighs, ‘One of them even smiled at me, like they remembered me.’

They check on the cameras, making sure they were still recording and running, their batteries charged and if any needed to be changed.

‘Could you uh- do the one near the library,’ Kyungsoo asks hesitantly, ‘I don’t like the matron much, to be honest.’

Minseok nods in understanding. Kyungsoo does go with him, but he stops some distance away. Minseok goes to check on the camera, nothing looking out at him from the darkness of the library. Minseok also double checks the mural- the eyeless painting grinning at him from the dark corner, finger coyly pointing forward.

Going back Minseok turns the corner to find Kyungsoo still there- except this time he’s distinctly uncomfortable, expression rigid.

The Red Knot Matron is standing directly behind him, half of her showing. Kyungsoo doesn’t look away from Minseok, concentrating on him until Minseok is close enough. Taking his outstretched hand, Kyungsoo turns on his heel and faces the empty hallway.

Minseok chances a look behind him and the Red Knot Matron watches them from behind the entrance to the library.

‘We need to…’ Kyungsoo says quietly, ‘We need to make things better.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Everyone’s a bit too- they’re dulling,’ Kyungsoo explains, ‘You are too.’

‘What do you suggest we do?’

When they get back, Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Zitao are all blankly on their phones.

‘Hey guys,’ Kyungsoo smiles, ‘All the cameras are fine and set up.’

Baekhyun looks a little surprised at Kyungsoo’s upbeat tone. Then Kyungsoo produces playing cards, smiling warmly at everyone. Jongdae almost seemed inclined to decline but Minseok ropes him in quickly.

It takes a while to get into the mood of it- but everyone seems to realize that this was supposed to be a mood lifter. Baekhyun’s forced smiles and laugh is replaced with genuine ones and Jongdae is cracking dumb jokes again. Zitao even takes a short video of them playing, wheezing with laughter when Kyungsoo loses spectacularly.

The atmosphere is much better when they turn in to go to sleep. It was an unspoken agreement almost, that they stay awake for much of the night. Jongdae actually manages to combine both his Baekhyun’s sleeping bags to form one odd lumpy one that they could both snuggle into.

‘Can’t believe all the comments on my post is ‘_keep a mentos in your coke_’ are people trying to have me killed?’ Baekhyun grumbles from the sleeping bag, though he looks amused as he scrolls through his phone. ‘Maybe _you _should do it instead username _yibosballsack27_.’

Kyungsoo chokes on his water.

‘You should totally keep a mentos in your coke,’ Zitao grins.

‘Yeah Baek, do it for the vine!’

‘What does that mean?’ Zitao asks, face blank.

Jongdae gapes at the younger man before declaring hotly, ‘You’re just trying to make me feel old on purpose!’

Minseok does feel better as he readies himself to sleep. It was just this night, and then they would be done. It was just 5 more hours at most, and they would be able to leave. Zitao and Kyungsoo will be able to feel a sense of completion- or whatever it was they needed from here, and Minseok would be able to hightail Baekhyun and Jongdae out of here, sneakily throwing protective charms all over them again.

And then, a blessed break.

Minseok closes his eyes, dreaming of when they can go on a break in a couple of days.

It doesn’t even feel like an hour has passed,

‘Hyung!’

Minseok feels sluggish, waking with difficulty.

Something felt wrong- the air felt heavy and damp on him.

There’s a heavy unshakeable weight on his shoulders and it yanks him down and Minseok starts wide awake.

‘Hyung wake up,’ Kyungsoo says desperately, looming over him.

‘What’s wrong,’ Minseok asks quickly, looking around the dark room, his eyes adjusting with difficulty. Why was the lamp off? The whole place looked strangely different- the windows were no longer boarded he was on a bunk bed? 

‘Zitao is missing.’

*

* * *

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _So, no offence to Baekhyun I love him and he is the reason why this account exists but bitches be falling in love with Kyungsoo and yeah im bitches_

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _I SPOKE TOO SOON FORGET THIRSTING OVER ANYONE WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU GUYS IN THIS PLACE _

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _WAIT WAIT WAIT WHAT. Okay listen if…if this is fake…which I don’t think it is…but if its not fake it means its true…_

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE WAS SLEEPWALKING BAEKHYUN WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WERE SLEEP WALKING I HATE THIS_

minghaoFrogagenda: _I AM SO DONE WITH THESE TWO I AM FULL ON CRYING I HATE THIS SO MUCH side note I already love Zitao and I am adopting him please protect him_

minghaoFrogagenda: I HATE THIS EPISODE SO MUCH HE JUST STRAIGHT UP SLEPT WALK AND STOPPED IN FRNOT OF THAT CURSED MURAL

Indigo_salad: _not to sound paranoid but uhhhhhhhh did that painting in 12:34 mark just um, you know, move?_

Indigo_salad: _FUCK THAT PREVIOUS COMMENT FUCK THAT PAINTING WHAT THE FUCK_

Im a whole ass treat:_ 12:34 12:34 12:34 12:34 12:34 12:34 12:34 12:34_

Bread for Cheeks, Cheeks for Bread:_ I keep telling myself I wont watch the next episode but I’ve been saying that for 2 seasons now I should just never say things I will not follow through with i_

Bread for Cheeks, Cheeks for Bread:_ YEAH OKAY THAT’S IT I AM NOT WATCHING THIS SEASON GOOD BYE I STILL LOVE YOU GUYS I CN’T PHYSICALLY WATCH ANYMORE_

DrinkThatWaterBtich: _WAS THAT A FULL BODY APPARITION AT 16:03 WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT 16:03 GUYS I NEED SOMEONE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS WHAT WAS THAT BEHIND JONGDAE IN THE FUCKING BATHROOM AT 16:03 WHY IS EVERYONE SPOOKED ABOUT 12:34 ALL PAINTINGS ARE POSSESSED ANYWAYS_

DrinkThatWaterBtich: _Oh. I see why…_

Baguette Au Pain_: I was wondering why people were doing weird double comments, and the tweets from this episode were weird (I was at work and I couldn’t watch but I could read the comments!) and so yeah. _

Baguette Au Pain_: WHAT THE, and I cannot stress this enough, FUCK?????????????????????????????_

_Real talk though, I used to sleep walk as a kid, and later when I was stressed, I would sleep walk in my teens too. Maybe baek is just stressed with this whole situation? And he ended up kinda projecting his fears from the stories of the place and slept-walked?_

Why Are All The B-Sides Bops?: _as someone who has a sleepwalking brother this is very familiar to me it’s so jarring and displacing. They look so normal in what they do, I once had a whole ass conversation with my brother and turns out he was sleep walking the entire time but at least that was in our house. Baek suddenly slept walked in a creepy ass hostel I hope he’s not too jarred from this experience TT_TT_

GrimArtandStuff: _The fear in jongdae’s eyes when baek went missing- we love best friends. It was obvious they were unprepared- if this was staged, they would have had full on POV cameras to “catch” their reactions. But we only had cut-off and weirdly angled camera cuts. I think baek might have stress slept-walked. But jongdae’s voice ;_; he was so worried_

15 Frame Rates Per Second: _This is fake, 100%, damn wish it wasn’t, I really liked them a lot after their collab with Studio NNG_

Mareete: _did they…I know that they’ve had…a bunch of episodes where it genuinely looked like the places they were in were, yknow, “haunted” haunted. But this place is…is it Haunted™?_

Mareete: _HI OKAY BUT DID ANYONE ELSE SEE THAT SAME FUCKING MURAL IN THE WALL OUTSIDE WHEN THEY WENT BACK IN FOR THE SECOND NIGHT???????? IT WAS RIGHT THERE- ///OUTSIDE/// CAN SOMEONE ELSE CONFIRM THIS WITH ME_

DaeDroid: _I can see this video in a youtube compilation of “supernatural activity caught on tape” for the next 5 years, also that fucking painting literally gave me so many chills every time it showed up so to anyone who wants to avoid looking at that fucked up mural it shows up in: 07:12, 08:11, 12:34, 17:15, and 23:17_

LuckyFrogSong: _is anyone else hiding in the comment section because same, I know nothing I see nothing idk anything about moving paintings or full body apparitions stay here in the comment section where its safe lalalalalala I cant hear anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _hyungs you need to burn down this building I’ll help you_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *
> 
> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> So  
The whole thing about how  
A place doesn’t seem to want to let you go  
Kinda pplies to me and the house I grew up in- for the longest time after moving out I couldn’t quite get over that house- it’s possible that it was because most of my strongest memories of childhood centered around this house, but it was unpleasant that everything I based my memories out of, of certain stories and just in general- so much of how I really based the foundations of memory were all from this house. Im nto sure if the house I grew up in was legitimately haunted or if it was my way of coping through a really bad time my family went through when we were there, but it never wanted me to leave I guess- a way of processing trauma to a certain extent I guess- and for a while, even though I HATED that place, I wanted to go back??? Because even though I hated it, I knew it- it was familiar to me I guess, but obviously I didn’t- though till now I still see that house in my dreams I am definitely able to put it behind me and no longer have it as a fundamental basis of everything immediate in my life. Like baek says, the bad memories aren’t what makes us   
BUT I HOPE THIS WASN’T TOO BAD  
And sorry for the late update  
T_T  
Also who would’ve thought that the baekhyunIU fight scene would come out like this again


	15. Unsolved Vlogs Season 2 Season Finale: The DK Hostel for Young Children Pt. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY  
HEY YOU  
YEAH YOU  
DON’T FUCKING READ THIS AT NIGHT YOU HEAR ME????  
But if you do, make sure the lights are on and you’ve already peed  
Okay cool, thanks for reading in advance!!!!

‘Zitao is gone.’

The words echo, as though from a distance despite the fact that Minseok can clearly see Kyungsoo’s pale worried face just a foot away from him.

‘Hyung!’

Feeling like he was submerged underwater, and now suddenly dragged up, where sound and air and all of his senses were screaming at him, Minseok wakes up completely into a realm he immediately realizes is not his own.

‘I was too worried about Baekhyun,’ Kyungsoo is saying, crawling away to check on said person who was very knocked out in his shared bunk bed. ‘And you were too worried about Jongdae- and I- I forgot to look after him.’

Minseok looks around the room- everything has changed. Shifted strangely- the windows are not boarded up, a single thin pane of curtain barely shields them from the dark outside. The lights are weak and dim above them- the wood is old and moldy, but it’s not as aged or abandoned.

‘Where are we?’ Minseok asks quickly, sitting up and pushing himself to the edge of his bunk. The bunks overhead are empty.

‘I-‘ Kyungsoo stands, grabbing their torchlights. Their belongings are strangely strewn around the room, seamlessly integrating into the dorm room. ‘I think we’ve slipped.’

‘Slipped? Into- into what?’

‘I think a lot of what happened to me,’ Kyungsoo begins to explain as he hands Minseok one of the torchlights, ‘Might have happened…kinda in my head.’

‘You mean, like in a dream state?’

‘It would explain why so many people who lived in DK, who maybe had a shine for a while, didn’t really remember much of it,’ Kyungsoo slips on his shoes. It’s then Minseok realizes Kyungsoo was wearing clothes that he didn’t recognize. Looking down, Minseok realizes he’s not exactly fully wearing his own clothes.

‘It’s trying to take us in,’ Minseok realizes, ‘This place.’

Kyungsoo nods.

‘But we woke up- not because of anything else. But we woke up, and we need to get to Zitao.’

Minseok follows Kyungsoo out immediately, realizing with a strange sense of horror that he was quite short. He catches a glimpse of himself in the narrow mirror of a narrow closet to the side of the dorm room and finds himself looking at a younger Minseok. Maybe 13 years old. Looking back at where Jongdae and Baekhyun were, they appeared no more than 11.

‘Hyung.’

Kyungsoo’s hair is softer, still short; his cheeks have a roundness characteristic of children despite the fact that he appeared a tad too thin for his age. There’s a gravity to his eyes that is too heavy for someone his age- and Minseok wants to wrap his arms around the younger boy. His voice is barely above a whisper, but he spoke with the same serious tone he did as an adult.

‘Hyung please, we need to find Taozi quickly!’ Kyungsoo exclaims desperately, struggling a little with the door handle. But weren’t they always unlocked?

Minseok feels helpless, looking at the door handle just barely situated above Kyungsoo’s current height.

This _place _was rendering them hopeless- incapable of moving with strength or surety they had as adults.

‘Kyungsoo-‘

‘Hyung, I think I could go run for the matron- or- or maybe I can yell,’ Kyungsoo whispers desperately.

‘What?’ Minseok looks at young Kyungsoo and then he realizes. ‘This is…this is your memory.’

Kyungsoo looks at him confused, childish annoyance washing his features momentarily. He doesn’t have a torchlight on him.

The one in Minseok’s hand nearly slips out but Minseok’s grip tightens despite just barely able to close his hand around the handle.

‘No!’ Minseok yells forcefully, making Kyungsoo flinch. There’s a hissing sound directly behind him, the sound of nails dragging on a wall. He sees Kyungsoo freeze up, large wide eyes focused on something behind him.

Minseok looks back slowly.

The mural is massive, splayed over the wall, the window gaping wide where its grinning mouth should be. The curtain flutters rapidly with the sharp inhales and exhales of the menacing mural, pigtails twisting all over the ceiling and downwards, slipping through the gaps of the bunks and towards where Baekhyun and Jongdae were knocked out.

‘Do not _touch them.’ _Minseok hisses, turning fully and taking a forceful step towards the mural. The window contracts, the curtain warping like a wicked tongue out to grab him.

But the hair retracts.

Minseok takes another step forward, loud, firm.

His aunt always told him, and from his own experiences he knew; looking straight into their eyes- into the eyes of spirits, ghosts, _demons­- _whatever they were, was to be avoided at all cost. But if you did- if you held their gaze, you had to _stand your ground._

‘This is _my room_,’ Minseok snaps, ‘Get the _fuck out _right _now!’_

Light shines from behind him, and suddenly it’s only his dim shadow outlining the wall. The window is still, the curtain unmoving.

‘Hyung?’

Minseok turns around, finding Kyungsoo looking up at him, torchlight recovered in his hands.

‘Hey,’ Minseok crouches down to better look Kyungsoo in the eyes, ‘We got this, we’re gonna do this okay? We’ll get Zitao back.’

Kyungsoo nods fervently, old thin pajama shirt a few sizes too large on his thin frame.

‘Where do you think Zitao is being taken?’

‘There- it’s always _there_,’ Kyungsoo takes Minseok’s extended hand.

Minseok catches a glimpse of himself on the mirror, relieved to find that he’s looking like his adult self, in clothes that were his own. Turning back around, the dorm room has returned to what he knows. The window barred, their equipment, their gear- all still there. Jongdae and Baekhyun safely cuddled in their shared sleeping bag.

They would be fine.

This room was Minseok’s now. This was _his_.

Minseok walks out of the room, closing the door firmly behind him.

A thud reverberates along the hallway, one that Minseok feels under his feet. Kyungsoo’s grip in his hand tightens and he shines the torchlight down the hallway.

A thin tall man, wearing dark clothes, stands all the way at the end. His hand is around a door handle of another door, as though in the process of opening it. But his attention is on them.

‘He’s checking on the kids,’ Kyungsoo tells him, his voice only just shaking a little as the thin tall man approaches them, thin legs disproportionately weighty as it thuds towards them. ‘And we’re not in bed.’

‘We’re not kids,’ Minseok says quietly, looking away from the tall thin man to look down at Kyungsoo. ‘We’re not kids. We’re grown adults, you have already left this place- this place is behind you. And so is _this-‘_

He stands right in front of them- head bent nearly all the way down to stop from touching the ceiling. The weight of his face pulling a little with gravity. His lips are oddly fleshy and red, glistening despite the overall dullness of his whole appearance.

‘He can’t stop us,’ Minseok stares straight into its beady eyes. ‘He can’t do anything. He’s dead. There’s nothing he can do anymore.’

‘You can’t stop us.’ Kyungsoo’s voice is deeper, and also coming from a higher point than earlier.

Looking around, Minseok finds a teenaged Kyungsoo standing next to him, just a little shorter than his original height.

The hallway is empty when Minseok looks back, all the doors closed and undisturbed.

‘Hyung this is-‘ Kyungsoo exhales quietly, ‘-it’s hard to grasp this.’

‘You can do it,’ Minseok says firmly, ‘You’ve done this before. You can do it again.’

‘But it’s never taken Zitao- I’ve always stopped it and-‘

‘And you will stop it again,’ Minseok reaffirms, ‘We will stop it.’

Kyungsoo nods, looking at Minseok as though clinging to his every single word.

They hurry down the hallway that seems a little too long but they make it out and waiting at the stairs are a few children, sitting primly at random steps. Kyungsoo flinches but he doesn’t step back.

‘Why are you up?’ Kyungsoo demands, ‘Get to bed now!’

The children just stare at him, their haziness flickering here and there, red edges bleeding to their form every now and then, starting from their heads, matting their hair and staining their clothes in a heartbreaking manner.

‘I said go to be bed,’ Kyungsoo orders, standing to his full height, ‘It’s too late to play, you’ve had your fun. Go back to bed or I’m calling the matrons.’

The children scuttle, sounding very much like rats and mice scuttling on wooden floors. Their sinking forms disappearing into the steps, dark stains remain in ominous and telling shapes across the bare carpet.

‘I think I’m better now,’ Kyungsoo tells him, serious and worried as he looks down the steps. ‘Thank you hyung.’

Minseok nods. They hurry down the stairs, hands still firmly clasped together.

‘This was all planned- going for Baekhyun like that, and then causing a rift- purposefully swaying our attention and worries.’ Kyungsoo mutters, aiming his flashlight ahead of them as Minseok spreads his out, looking down to the floor below. From the corner of his eyes he can see the children gathered at the bannisters behind them, the tall thin man ducking out of the corridor, just watching them.

‘Why would it come for Zitao? Why not either one of us?’ Minseok wonders out loud.

‘Maybe that’s what it’s doing,’ Kyungsoo says hurriedly, panic evident in his voice, ‘Using Zitao as bait.’

‘We need to be careful-‘ Minseok is saying as they quickly step off of the last step, a flash of red moving fast.

‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!’ a voice shrieks out at them.

With horrendous force, Kyungsoo’s hand rips out of Minseok’s grip, making them both stumble. Minseok only just manages to right himself up against the wall, but he hears Kyungsoo’s protesting sounds and he’s confused-

The Red Knot Matron is holding Kyungsoo tight by the short ends of his hair and Kyungsoo is- he’s quite young again. His eyes are wide, fearful and wet as tears pool in his eyes from the pain.

‘Get back to your studies now!’ she screams, yanking Kyungsoo away with horrendous force, dragging a 13 year old Kyungsoo with her down the hallway towards the library. ‘How _dare _you!’

Minseok scrambles to his feet, sprinting forward but he’s shoved _hard_, stumbling backwards again to the lobby. Kyungsoo’s flashlight falls in the middle of the hallway and they’re gone.

‘Shit-!’

A horrendous smell overwhelms Minseok, to the point where it burns his eyes, his stomach convulsing as though ready to retch. Instinctively, Minseok jerks away, trying to avoid the stench. He pushes through, struggling to reach the hallway but the stench is overwhelming- smothering him like some physical restraint.

‘GET OFF!’ Minseok screams, arms flinging ahead of him, a blanket flying off.

Thin stick-like figures with wide peeled back eyes clammer around him, making whimpering terrified humming sounds. Minseok is somehow in bed- in an iron-bed, the mattress uncomfortable and hard. The figures carry pale candles, not enough to illuminate anything other than their watchful eyes and trembling lips.

‘Get the hell off of me,’ Minseok splutters out, pushing himself off of the bed quickly. He grabs the pillow he had supposedly been resting his head on and swings it hard. He’s not sure what he’s doing, but he needs to be assertive- needs to be-

‘Minseok? Kim Minseok?’

It’s enough to completely startle him.

The familiarity of the voice- but Minseok can’t place it. Can’t really put his finger as to where he’s heard this voice before.

But the voice is gone.

The thin crouched figures return to the beds, whimpering and huddling around their cold white candles- Minseok notices how they’re shaking- holding on to their last rattling breaths.

What was going on? The whole room, the very air, seems to ripple- like some mirage- vibrating, anticipating-

Something _huge_ explodes outside and they all shriek and wail- throwing their blankets over their heads. What sound like airplanes pass over- fire erupts outside and Minseok momentarily watches as screaming figures run across the back gardens, alight with fire as large temporary tents collapse with waves of fire.

Heat and orange light washes over Minseok but he’s struck with a sudden cold realization.

Something crashes through the building and huddled ill figures are rushing out of their nursing beds; bandaged and unwell- abandoned and unsought- desperate as fire hails around them. 

Minseok _understands_.

The last eruption outside breaks the windows and Minseok stumbles out of the nursing room, stumbling over debris and falling into a large gaping hole.

He lands heavily- unprepared and disoriented. The sound of water spilling onto cold tiles rings loud.

‘Hello.’

It’s that voice again- familiar, like he knows it from maybe a childhood memory.

Minseok shakes his head hard, stars erupting around him. The whole bathroom warps.

The little children are wearing tattered make-shift robes; two girls, one boy. They’re not facing Minseok- they’re huddled near a sink, over the sink there’s a small window- they’re trying to look out.

‘Did you know, they sent us here because they thought, we would be safe here?’ she whispers, leaning in close as though to see out of the window. ‘They said we should stay here, to be safe, but we weren’t.’

‘Everything broke, and we were left alone,’ the small boy says, he tries to hold the girl up. ‘We were so scared.’

‘Just like you, we’re alone too-‘

‘I don’t care,’ Minseok says bluntly, touching his head gingerly, reaching for one of the sinks he had crashed close to for balance and support. ‘This is not your story- none of these are your memories. So fuck you-‘ the children warp- hollow black emptiness reverberating around him. ‘Stop trapping them here like this- they’re gone!’

His voice echoes in the bathroom and everything is clear again. Minseok stands, lightheaded but stable. Looking up, there’s no hole to indicate he’s fallen through anywhere. He quickly rushes out, and just as he had suspected, he’s stepping into the 3rd floor hallway.

They were trying to separate him from Kyungsoo.

The nursery doors slam open in his wake, followed by the playrooms and the dorm rooms- forms of children pushing up against the doors- trying to let themselves be remembered again.

‘Stop it!’ Minseok yells as he runs, ‘Let it go!’

The doors slam shut- the roaring whispers around him completely dipping out. Instead Minseok can hear hurried footsteps – _real _footsteps. Nearly tripping on himself, Minseok rushes to the bannisters over looking the stairs all the way below. Kyungsoo, small and barely visible in the dark, was being lead down the stairs by blurred red forms.

‘Shit-‘ Minseok pushes through, running down the stairs as quickly as he could. He glances quickly at _his _room- the door was moldy and old- exactly how it was meant to be. It was also still firmly closed.

This was still _his _room- _his _own.

Turning, Minseok rushes down the next flight of stairs- the red shapes scattering back to the carpet.

‘KYUNGSOO!’ Minseok yells as loud as he can- but Kyungsoo is reliving his nightmare- frantic as he finds himself cornered at some dark force Minseok himself cannot see yet. He’s being redirected, towards that hallway, towards the basement.

‘Kyungsoo!’ Minseok yells again and like a rubber-band snapping, the air flickers around him and the pressure of the entirety of the _host _of darkness presses down harshly on him.

Like water relentlessly gushing down hard on you, Minseok struggles against it, but he slips, falling hard on his knees. The pain serves as a sharp enough trigger to shake him but it’s still too intense-

‘STOP!’ Kyungsoo’s shrilly child’s voice erupts around them like light.

Gasping for air, Minseok struggles up, pushing off the weight and sliminess of the darkness behind him, blubbering and convulsing.

‘Just stop it!’ Kyungsoo’s eyes are wet, his hands in fist.

‘Why aren’t you studying!’ a voice shrieks- something red streaking past before Minseok can even react.

The Red Knot Matron swoops down on Kyungsoo again, reaching for his ear and pulling hard, tugging him back in the direction of the library.

‘NO!’ Kyungsoo shoves her off, but he’s too scared- too young, too lonely- afraid that he’s stuck here forever and away from his family-

‘You will do as I say!’ she shrieks, high pitched, menacing, the whole weight of the hostel hurdling at him with her words.

‘Let him go!’ Minseok bellows.

The Red Knot Matron doesn’t even look at him.

Minseok stands up straight, walks straight up to her and _grabs her hand_.

Minseok has never touched a ghost like this before- never a spirit- _nothing_.

But plenty have touched him- fingers brushing through his hair as he tried to sleep, dangling toes from the ceiling nudging his arms in school, hands wrapping around his ankles, cold breaths on his skin- but never _like this_.

‘I said _let go!’_ Minseok grits through his teeth.

She shrieks at his face, attempting to pull at his ears.

Minseok does not condone violence of any sort, towards anyone, of any gender, age, etc. But he was definitely going to skip this rule in the face of some shrieking ghost fiend.

He shoves hard.

‘You don’t belong here,’ Minseok yells at her as she stumbles back, ‘You’re not part of this hostel, or anything before it- you _imposter!’_

She falls backwards into the hallway, vanishing into the library.

Minseok is panting, breathless- all of this felt incredibly strange, yet at the same time, Minseok _knows_ now. He understands now.

He’s shaken from his temporary breathless revere when he hears heartbreaking whimpering sounds. Turning he finds Kyungsoo crouching on the floor, arms crossed over his knees, rocking a little.

He’s facing the door which Minseok looks up just in time to see closing, as though someone just left.

‘This is not your memory to use,’ Minseok declares quietly as he walks up to the small boy. ‘Stop it.’

The lobby shifts, almost back to how Minseok remembers it.

‘Hey hey,’ Minseok reaches for Kyungsoo, pulling him into his arms, ‘Hey I’ve got you. Hyung’s got you, you don’t have to try this hard anymore- let me help you.’

Kyungsoo shrinks, physically shrinks some more in his arms. He’s barely 7 now- the same age he was when he first arrived at DK.

So that was exactly what was being used just then, right before Minseok was able to banish the Red Knot Lady.

‘You’ve been so brave,’ Minseok takes Kyungsoo’s face in his hands, making the boy look up. ‘You’ve been such a strong boy, you did your best, and it’s okay now, I’ll take care of you, I’ll take care of Zitao too. Got it?’

‘Taozi?’ Kyungsoo sniffs, eyelashes clumped, cheeks shiny with tears.

‘Yeah, let’s go get him, and we can go back to bed.’ Minseok wipes his face gently, ‘And then when we wake up, everything will be better.’

He lifts him in his arms, shifting him a little to sit on the side of his hip.

‘I’m sorry,’ Kyungsoo whispers again.

‘Nothing to be sorry for,’ Minseok smiles at the small boy, pulling his head down to hide his sight from the swelling darkness, liquid and vast, watching them from all around the house. 

With Kyungsoo in his arms, Minseok steadily walks down the administration hallway, past the matron’s offices, past the superintendents office.

Minseok is not surprised to look down the stairs and find that it’s no longer barricaded.

There’s a storm outside as well.

‘I’m scared,’ Kyungsoo whispers.

‘It’s okay to be scared,’ Minseok squeezes the young boy a little. ‘It’s okay to be scared.’

‘Really?’

Minseok hums, taking each step slowly.

‘I don’t like it.’

‘Me too,’ Minseok confesses. ‘I don’t like being scared. But do you want to know a secret?’

Kyungsoo pulls away just a little as Minseok stops at the last step.

‘What is it?’ he asks, eyes still wet, nose a little snotty.

‘All of those things? They’re more scared of you than you are of them.’

‘Really?’

Minseok nods, smiling warmly. ‘Sometimes, these bad spirits, these ghosts- most of the time, they’re just like bad memories, bad nightmares.’

‘I don’t like nightmares,’ Kyungsoo whispers.

‘After you have a nightmare, do you feel afraid?’

Kyungsoo nods.

‘It’s like that- all of them, these ghosts- they’re like nightmares, bad memories that just stay.’ Minseok explains. ‘But that’s all they are. They were bad memories, bad times in history, bad people doing bad things- and that feeling, that feeling you have in your chest, after you wake up from a nightmare- sometimes those linger long.’

Kyungsoo is listening carefully, eyes wide, mouth a little open to breathe as his nose was still clogged.

‘And all of that bad feeling? It gathers and gathers. And it’s one big nightmare, repeating nonstop, reliving all of those scary feelings.’

‘How do I stop it?’

‘What do you do when you have nightmares?’

‘I um,’ Kyungsoo looks around a little, as though to try and get his words together. ‘I um, I go to mum and dad. Or I- I uhh, think of nice things.’

‘Nice things? Like?’

‘I like puppies,’ Kyungsoo smiles; it’s small and uncertain. ‘Um, and I uh, I like to dream.’

‘What do you like to dream of?’ Minseok asks, taking a careful step off of the last step. As he turns to face the hallway, the stairs are crammed with dark shifting masses, eager to watch- or maybe just waiting now.

‘I like to dream of playing, taking my train, making a huge rail road- connect it all around the house, and um, deliver things,’ Kyungsoo tells him, ‘Automatic!’

‘That’s so cool!’ Minseok smiles at the small boy. ‘I love trains too.’

Kyungsoo smiles toothily at him.

‘Keep thinking of that- nice thoughts, nice dreams- they’re always stronger,’ Minseok says as they walk down the dim hallway. He hears the telephone ringing now, it’s faint. ‘And you can always make new once, better, stronger- nicer.’

Kyungsoo nods.

‘What if- what if I make, instead of trains, rockets!’ Kyungsoo’s feet kick a little, looking happier.

‘And it can fly? That’s so cool!’ Minseok grins, ‘And little space-stations, where the rocket can land.’

Kyungsoo nods vigorously before he stops, his attention caught. He shrinks a little, clearly hearing the phone ringing.

‘Hey, it’s okay, I’m here right?’ Minseok says quietly.

Kyungsoo nods.

‘I’ll put you down, but we will hold hands the entire time,’ Minseok tells him, ‘Don’t be scared okay? It’ll be fine, we’ll just go and get Taozi.’

Kyungsoo nods, his tiny face determined.

Minseok lowers the young boy, crouching a little. The black forms shift, convoluting- they can sense it. Something was going to change.

They stop by the last door. It’s worn, a little stained with maybe water leaks.

Kyungsoo is the one who opens the door.

It’s just like how Kyungsoo had described it. Desks stacked up to the ceiling, a dim light peaks through- coming from an incredibly old computer. There are filing cabinets everywhere, stacked over transformers and water units and engine parts scattered here and there.

And unconscious on the floor near the desks is Zitao’s small form.

‘It’s Taozi!’ Kyungsoo tugs at their hands a little.

Minseok walks over, looking around carefully for anything else. But it’s empty.

There’s nothing stranger than what Minseok has seen outside this room in here. He crouches down and picks up Zitao with one hand and arm, not wanting to let go of Kyungsoo. He manages with some difficulty, and Zitao is still asleep.

The corridor outside is empty, no swirling convoluting dark mass waiting for them. As Minseok climbs up the stairs with Kyungsoo, he hears the walls closing behind him. Looking back, the wall is sealed up, as though it never existed in the first place.

The administrative hallway is empty as well- it looks dusty, worn- like no one’s been here in a long while. Minseok notes the wires on the floors, connecting to generators to supply power to some of their cameras.

The lobby is empty, save for a water bottle Zitao forgot here. The camera at the end, right in front of the library blinks, the tiny blue light indicating it was still running up and well.

The stairs are void of red figures bleeding into sight- instead Kyungsoo yawns quietly, his feet dragging a little. Minseok adjusts Zitao in one arm, and bends down to pick up Kyungsoo. He immediately puts his arms up, wrapping around Minseok’s shoulder. Carefully, Minseok walks up the stairs and towards their room.

The door opens easily, and Baekhyun and Jongdae are still both asleep, their breathing low and soothing. Closing the door behind him, Minseok first puts Kyungsoo down and then puts Zitao back into his sleeping bag. He makes sure he’s comfortable and warm before turning to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo’s eyes are closing, his body tilting around like he couldn’t help it.

So Minseok tucks Kyungsoo in, zipping up his sleeping bag, pushing back his hair. He fusses a little with the zipper, adjusting it to make sure the little boy would be warm.

Just as Minseok is sitting back , the telephone rings harshly behind Minseok and he twists around, nearly falling backwards against Kyungsoo.

He looms over him- body twisting through the doorway, long and massive, head too large, hands too large, bracing his body inside the small dorm room.

Its wide gaping mouth is almost as big as the door behind it, and from deep within, the phone rings continuously.

‘No one will answer,’ Minseok tells it. ‘No one can answer it. Not anymore.’

All of the pain, hatred, fear, disease, decay- _death_: layered and layered, with no rest, no break, no chance for _hope_. It festered and festered, scraped up and taken away- discarded and forgotten but still lingering- like disembodied odour that lingers in the air.

And it kept trying to reach out- to say something – extending out, hoping to reach someone; or at least, that’s how it might have been.

‘Just let go,’ Minseok says quietly. ‘Your time long ended. Your anger can’t fix anything. Just let it go.’

It still hulks over him, but it’s diminished- not so much in size, but just in presence.

‘I’m sorry for what happened in the past- all of what happened, so much- _too much_. Things no one should have to face, no one should have to go through.’

It hunkers suddenly, massive long body shuddering.

‘You were alone- all of you, but you can’t stay like this- you need to wake up from this,’ Minseok says, sitting properly. ‘Wake up from this. Your bad memories don’t make you who you are – there’s more than just bad memories.’

It pulls away, mouth closing and the phone stops ringing at once.

Slowly it crawls out, size diminished, mouth slowly shrinking, and then it completely slips away, door closing behind it.

Exhausted and tired, Minseok settles back into the sleeping bag, looking around to make sure everyone was safely settled.

‘It’s time to wake up,’ Minseok whispers softly, closing his eyes.

*

‘Hyung!’

Minseok refuses to be held accountable for nearly punching Jongdae in his face. It’s a knee-jerk reaction and Jongdae, though he didn’t look it, did indeed possess the occasional fast reflex, so he’s saved a black eye. Honestly no one should be waking up anyone by flopping over to their sleeping bag in the first place.

‘Oh my god,’ Minseok gets out as soon as he’s recovered.

‘She showed me all the stars!’ Zitao remarks, hair standing on end from where he’s starting to sit up, phone already in his hand before adding, ‘It’s a good song!’ defensively to Jongdae’s quizzical look.

‘I’m hungry,’ Jongdae exclaims, looking at his camera before pointing it at Minseok’s face. ‘Hyung, are you hungry?’

‘Where’s Kyungsoo? And Baek?’ he asks instead, looking around the dorm room for the two.

‘Buddy rule!’ Jongdae explains before addressing his GoPro, ‘Guys, remember, we’re not idiots in horror movies and we do everything in pairs.’

‘So how was the last night for you?’ Jongdae redirects the GoPro to Zitao who sleepily blinks at him for a prolonged second.

‘I dunno, strangely fine I guess,’ Zitao remarks, ‘I think, with who I am now, it’s different.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Like- like I’ve grown out of this place I guess,’ Zitao stretches, ‘What I thought was holding me down, or like, I dunno, you know, something weighty? It’s well, I guess I feel like it’s not, uh, heavy anymore. Maybe once it was, but not anymore at least.’

‘That’s great!’ Jongdae smiles, his tone genuine.

Downstairs they hear the door opening, the sound of Baekhyun yelling, ‘_HEY DK GHOSTS, YOUR BOYS ARE LEAVING FOR GOOD!’ _following soon after.

Jongdae cackles, getting up and slipping his shoes on, ‘So are you saying you want to get all of the cameras by yourself?’

‘I’M NOT AN IDIOT!’ Baekhyun roars back.

Minseok looks around, rolling his shoulders a little.

‘Hyung,’ Zitao calls as he crawls over.

‘Hm?’

Slumping forward, Zitao hugs him tight.

‘I saw hyung in my dream,’ he grins at him.

‘Yeah?’ Minseok laughs, wrapping an arm around the tall young man and squeezing.

‘Hm,’ he nods, ‘You were talking on this old phone set, you sounded very kind.’

‘Odd dream,’ Minseok smiles. ‘But slept okay?’

‘Hm,’ Zitao sits up properly, ‘I guess so.’

‘Any nightmares?’

‘I dunno,’ Zitao frowns, ‘But I guess everything’s okay now. We can get going.’

Minseok nods.

‘Do you guys wanna grab breakfast first or head back to our hostel first?’ Jongdae asks, poking his head in, GoPro still in hand.

‘Breakfast please,’ Minseok groans, standing up, ‘I need carbs in me.’

‘Same!’ Baekhyun announces as he enters, hair pushed back into a beanie, face shiny from washing it. ‘I need like, 4 eggs.’

‘That’s so weirdly specific,’ Zitao frowns.

‘I wouldn’t say no to 4 eggs,’ Kyungsoo remarks, entering the room.

‘You really get me,’ Baekhyun says to Kyungsoo earnestly before turning to face his own GoPro, ‘Guys, please help me convince Kyungsoo to visit us more.’

‘That would also mean we’d have more of Chanyeol,’ Jongdae wiggles his eyebrows at an alarming rate. ‘Really, it’s just a plus for us that way.’

‘Please, let me rest,’ Minseok deadpans.

Kyungsoo laughs, walking over to pat Minseok on the shoulder.

They pack up, still pairing up as they retrieve all of their cameras, making sure to clean up after themselves. Minseok and Baekhyun walk over to the library, picking up the camera at the doorway.

‘Oh- oh no,’ Baekhyun whines.

‘Hm?’

‘It fell off,’ Baekhyun points at the camera pointed at the GoPro they had placed to point straight at the mural.

‘…so are you going to pick it up or not?’ Minseok raises his eyebrows at the younger who was shuffling on his feet.

‘I can- I can totally do this,’ Baekhyun nods to himself.

Minseok grins at the camera, shaking his head before he dismounts it.

The library is dim and quiet. No red, no face looking out at him.

‘Ah, still creepy,’ Baekhyun says in his slightly high-pitched voice, pretending to sound nonchalant. ‘I’ll be happy leaving this behind.’

‘There’s still the mural inside the library,’ Minseok reminds him as Baekhyun backs from the surprisingly well lit corridor.

‘Hyung, please don’t let me get it myself,’ Baekhyun whines.

Laughing Minseok gestures to him and they walk inside.

‘Much better in the morning, with some light from outside,’ Baekhyun remarks, shivering a little. ‘And oh god, it’s still there.’

‘Would you have had it not there?’ Minseok snorts.

‘Why would you say that?!’ Baekhyun wails.

They gather at the lobby again, all of their stuff neatly organized and packed.

‘So, any last thoughts?’ Jongdae asks, turning his GoPro to scan around them. ‘Any last remarks.’

‘Uh, 1 star, will not recommend, glad to be leaving, will not be returning,’ Baekhyun nods seriously. ‘And please, parents, don’t be fooled by grand facades- do thorough research!’

‘Uh, this was strangely therapeutic,’ Zitao begins thoughtfully, ‘I think I’m a bit surprised I guess.’

‘In what way?’

‘Surprised that I’ve moved on.’

‘And that is absolutely amazing!’ Baekhyun jumps over to squeeze Zitao. ‘We love personal growth!’

‘What about you Soo?’ Jongdae points the GoPro almost an inch away from Kyungsoo’s unflinching, unimpressed face.

‘I guess, the same like Zitao.’ Kyungsoo replies instead. ‘By coming back here, I feel like I’ve been…-like I’ve been able to let go of a lot of things.’

Baekhyun does the same to Kyungsoo, jumping over to hug him close.

‘And Minseok-hyung?’ Jongdae points the GoPro over at him. ‘Anything?’

Minseok opens his mouth- he’s unsure what to say. A lot happened- and he’s just glad they were all here, without anyone being lost, anyone being held down in here.

‘I’m hungry.’

The quiet and empty hostel rings with echoes of laughter, damp moldy walls exhaling at last for a final time.

*

_Kyungsoo:_

_Hyung, thank you _

_If you hadn’t been there things would have been _

_Much more difficult_

_Thank you for allowing me to _

_I guess, not push as hard_

_It was terrifying, being back, seeing all of them again and not being able to control myself like I can now_

_It reminded me so much of how much in hurt_

_And being so alone _

_I guess this was my first heartbreak and it still hurt_

_But it also made me realize, maybe even if I didn’t beat it then_

_I still survived it _

_And I’m still here_

_I’m also sorry that we ended up having to go through all of that_

_Basically only so that I could realize this_

_But _I’m_ still very grateful_

_So thank you again hyung_

_Also we might have to uhh_

_Be quite careful about some of our clips_

_It’s kinda…telling_

*

Indigo_salad: _Hey what the actual FUCK WAS THAT IN 15:08 BECAUSE THAT SURE LOOKED LIKE HANDPRINTS ON THE WALL BEHIND THEM IN THE MORNING PLEASE SOMEONE TWEET THEM THAT FRAME, I SWEAR THOSE ARE HANDPRINTS ALL OVER THE WALL BEHIND THEM FOR LIKE A SPLIT FRAME_

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _IF JONGDAE IS NOT A ERIKYOONG AFTER THIS I’M OFFICIALLY UNSUBSCRIBING (for like, 5 minutes) BECAUSE MISTER, YOU BETTER SIT DOWN AND THINK OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS EPISODE T_T T_T _

Professional Procrastinator 3000: _Is it just me or is there a somewhat…sadness to these episodes? I mean yeah it was scary af but at the same time I just- I dunno, there was something sad about these episode, weirdly melancholic- like the reverse of nostalgia? _

Where there is a will, there is an iam: _This was such a perfect 3 episode season finale shoot, like can we commend them, honestly, for sticking through their plan, being respectful about the content and history, being thorough about the place, listing reasons, legitimate ones!! Of why some things could be considered hauntings when its just potential illnesses from mold and stuff, and like, putting full credits on sources and actually being green-lighted by the areas city council and being approved like, what a good job, honestly I hope more people fund and sponsor them, because this is genuinely wonderful content_

Mareete: _I have a theory that Jongdae can actually see ghosts, but pretends not to and he’s just indulging Baekhyun and this theory IS TRUE UNLESS PROVEN WRONG_

Baguette Au Pain_: I think I held my breath for the entirety of Baekhyun’s solitary walk around the nursery/nursing room. God can you imagine how depressing it must have to be sick and recover in there? Also, is it just me, or uh, some of that night footage, was kinda…very busy? I don’t know how to explain it- like I know night footage is grainy but that was…different_

Any_for_us: _I haven’t commented in these episodes and I just- I was waiting for this last one to drop because I’m low-key freaking out because uh, I think I’ve always been able to see shit, and sometimes I thought I saw stuff in their episodes, especially this season. But god the way I felt once I started the first episode- the stuff in the background in the darkness, and like, I could sense and see exactly how it was starting to effect them because I physically couldn’t watch the episodes continusouly and I had to pause several times. Something was really heavy and dark in that hostel, and im happy that they got out of it with satisfaction, especially for their two guests, but wow, I hope they never encounter such a dark force like that again. _

SilverInk: _HEY WHY WOULD YOU LEAN IN AND LISTEN TO THOSE PIPES KIM JONGDAE ANSWER ME THIS INSTANCE WHAT ARE YOU DOING I’VE NEVER BEEN MORE STRESSED_

minghaoFrogagenda: _I think it’s safe to say that, despite their differences regarding the main theme of this god-sent series, Jongdae and Baekhyun work THIS well because of their respect and love for each other. Jongdae always teases Baek but he’s supportive in a way that works wonderfully. And Baekhyun doesn’t disbelieve Jongdae’s logic, instead he regards it seriously as well. The guests this week were amazing as well, it was clear that this was important to them and I’m happy to see them face their childhood trauma in a self-aware fashion. Thank you so much for these wonderful episodes!! _

minghaoFrogagenda: _ALSO GOTTA MENTION I THINK I SAW SOMETHING BEHIND JONGDAE WHEN HE WAS CHILLING (LIKE A MAD MAN) DURING HIS SOLITARY STAY_

Why Are All The B-Sides Bops?: _I’d love to see more behind the scenes shots from todays last episode! Im so happy they included more of their personal shots into this, it felt so real- like their fear, returning after Baek’s sleepwalking episode. I also love that they actually went to the memorial site before leaving the place. It was perfect. An EXCELLENT episode, god what a way to end the season._

167 Is Average Height: _I always try to view these things with as much logical reasoning as possible, and like Jongdae pointed out, there’s a lot that goes on in old buldings, but the way they described the history, and just their general reactions too, not to mention Baekhyun’s sleepwalking it was- a lot, to say the least. Im not a strict believer in stuff like this but there’s definitely something about this place and definiltey happy that its going to be taken down and replaced with a whole new building set up_

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _can’t believe you guys are ending this season like this_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> STREAM “DELIGHT” Y’ALL  
I mean im guessing you already are but like  
BBH never disappoints I want to tattoo ghost on my forehead  
What are your favourite songs from the album?????????????  
Mines obviously Ghost, and also underwater- ofc Candy is a wonderful song but UNDERWATER   
Im just  
But ultimately im happily married to Ghost  
This week has been a wonderful week in terms of music  
Actually scratch that  
This MONTH has been amazing  
AGUST D 2 DROPPED AND I’VE NOT BEEN THE SAME SINCE AM I OKAY???? IDK BUT EVERYTIME I LISTEN TO ANY SONG FROM THE ALBUM (especially what do you think and strange) I COULD PUNCH A BILLIONAIRE IN THE FACE  
What are your favourite songs?  
Also who knew my initial idea of writing this au meant to be a fun comedic time would turn out to actually be therapeutic for myself (and frightening!!)  
It’s been relieving I guess, writing these chapters based on my own experiences and how I felt during certain times of my life, and being able to translate them out like this, BUT ALSO SORRY FOR TRAUMATIZING YOU GUYS IN TURN THAT WASN’T MY INTENTION  
I wont be updating for a while, not that im not writing this anymore, but I wanna write MY BAEKXING FIC if you guys are interested in it please check it out!!! Baekhyun is the annual sacrifice to a god and that god is Yixing and every one else is an animal that can talk it’s hilarious!! Or at least I think it is  
Im thinking of making these like seasons  
I’ll put up the autopsy chapter soon though!!  
Every season has like 10 chapters or something, so this is the end of season 2, and season 3 will be back after a break ^_^


	16. Unsolved: Autopsy [The DK Hostel for Young Children Season Finale]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Listen to Ghost while reading on repeat, not because it matches the chapter but because you just should)  
ALSO THERE'S PART III BEFORE THIS UNSOLVED AUTOPSY CHAPTER UPDATE

‘Welcome to Season 2’s, season finale unsolved autopsy!’

‘Fear not! We will return in time for the summer break!’

‘Yes, we still have our education to prioritize!’

‘As do all of you I’m sure.’

‘But if you’re already graduated and you’re done with uni life then…uh-‘

‘-how does it feel to be an adult?’

‘Yeah, Minseok-hyung, how does it feel like to be adult?’

_(…)_

‘So, these episodes were quite something weren’t they Baek?’

‘They most certainly were. And we are here to answer questions but also!’

‘COME ON IN KYUNGSOO!

‘Ah, and Zitao couldn’t be here, but we are going to get him on call soon!’

‘Hey guys. It’s Kyungsoo.’

‘No need to be so formal!’

‘This is just how I am.’

‘A lot of comments were asking you to be a permanent part of the Unsolved Family! What do you think?’

‘While I am honoured, and willing to participate in future projects, I think this channel is perfect the way it is with you three.’

‘You always have such a way with words, this is why my mum likes you better than she likes me-‘

‘You heard it guys, he’s gonna show up next season too. This is a forever promise that if you break it will haunt you like a ghost.’

‘Sure.’

‘I wish to attain Kyungsoo’s level of indifference sometimes – how does it feel to be so powerful?’

‘It’s his eyebrows- it’s all there, all that power-‘

‘Let’s get this going before Minseok-hyung rolls his eyes back permanently!’

‘Question time! This is from Instagram user “Candy_Delight” who asks ‘_have you slept walked again since that time in the hostel?’ _and there’s been a lot of questions like this-‘

‘-and the answer is no! I’ve never slept walked before this, and never after that either.’

‘Also some fun fact-‘

‘-it’s not a _fun fact _but I did go for some medical advice! As someone who’s never slept walked before, I thought it might be good to hear professional input!

So basically my doctor said it’s possible I was under a lot of stress, and with the environment around me at the time, my subconscious took over.’

‘The doctor also said that just because you’ve never slept walked before, doesn’t mean you won’t ever sleep walk in your life, so like, I guess there’s a time for everything eh?’

‘Sure wish my subconscious decided to at least wait until after that moment to be honest.’

‘So you’re saying you’d rather sleep walk after we were done with the hostel, and have you sleep walk around our dorm randomly?’

‘…I-‘

‘We’d definitely have to get your exorcised.’

‘Hahahahaha-‘

‘-wait why do you like somewhat excited by that-‘

_(intermission)_

‘No one is getting exorcised, but we did get this one question from twitter user “AD2: Album to Punch Jeff Bezos to” who asks, ‘_has anyone considered exorcizing this goddamn place, or at least please painting over that mural’ _and I think that’s a valid question that we will ask Zitao!’

‘Phone call time!’

‘Okay we have him on call right now and-‘

‘-…’

‘…’

_(‘…’)_

‘…’

‘-did he hang up on you?!’

_(on standby, please wait)_

‘WHY DIDN’T YOU ANSWER ANY OF OUR CALLS AND ONLY PICKED UP KYUNGSOO’S?!’

_ ‘Because I have priorities.’ _

‘HOW IS KYUNGSOO YOUR PRIORITY BUT WE’RE NOT?’

_ ‘Because Kyungsoo doesn’t send me JUMP SCARE VIDEOS OUT OF THE BLUE WITHOUT WARNING YOU ASSHOLE!’ _

‘I DID THAT BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME YOU LOVED HORROR-‘

‘_I LOVE HORROR IN A CONTAINED ENVIRONMENT I AM READY FOR-‘_

_(short break and time-out for BaekChen)_

‘It’s weird just being by myself, are you sure they’re okay?’

_(‘Sometimes they need to be punished. It’s a good reminder.’)_

‘_Sounds kinky.’_

_(‘Zitao-‘)_

‘So Zitao! It’s good to hear from you again, are you ready for this question?’

‘_Most definitely!’_

‘Great, so this is from twitter user “AD2: Album to Punch Jeff Bezos to” who asks, ‘_has anyone considered exorcizing this goddamn place, or at least please painting over that mural’ _– do you have any input?’

‘_I do! From what I gathered, the hostel definitely underwent some cleansing- but it was mainly just for things like, opening the hostel again, basic ceremonial stuff. Nothing to actually try and exorcise the hostel in a purposeful manner.’_

‘Can we come back in?’

_(‘Depends on if you’ve both learnt your lesson.’)_

‘We have.’

‘Then you can come back.’

‘YAAAY-‘

_(They’re back now)_

‘So! With Zitao still on the line! Another question from YouTube that goes, ‘_This question is for Zitao! You said in the interview that you felt that the hostel not only held heavy and bad childhood memories for you, but that it was reinforced because of the way the hostel seemed to cater to all your fears at the same time. Is there a specific example you are comfortable sharing with us? I thought you especially hated the dorm rooms, is there a story you could share please?’ _and this is from “Your Mom’s Router”.’

‘My mum’s router?’

‘Maybe _my _mum’s router.’

_(snickering ensues)_

‘_Hm- yeah, the dorm rooms are probably the places most of us felt the worst. At least when you’re around the hostel, like the study rooms, the cafeteria- all these places, you had other things to think about- homework, food, evading bullies, that sort of thing. But once in your bunk, and you’re trying to sleep- that loneliness just hit you. And as a kid, it was tough. Especially if you didn’t have close friends or family with you. This was a perfect place to, well, harvest negativity and let it fester.’_

‘This is a good point! A lot of places are filled with misery- and sometimes, as humans we have a lot of empathy- we immediately sense the emotions of those around us unless we’re very self absorbed. And we immediately relate to it, causing us to feel the same heaviness of a place-‘

‘­_-yeah, and so I guess, seeing others sad and miserable, just added to your own. And you could always hear other kids crying at night.’_

‘How did you cope?’

‘_I have Kyungsoo-hyung of course. We were in different classes, and sometimes we didn’t share a dorm room. But after making friends with Kyungsoo-hyung, I think I was able to focus away from how miserable I was.’_

‘Ah well-‘

‘Kyungsoo!’

‘Soo!’

_(massive group hug ensues- here is Zitao photoshopped into this image as requested)_

‘This is why a lot of people do suggest that rather than a supernatural haunting, many places are weighted down by an _emotional haunting_.’

‘HA!’

‘Don’t laugh! It actually makes sense!’

‘I’m not laughing because I think it’s dumb- it’s just, the term itself sounds funny! Emotional haunting!’

(_sigh_)

‘But that is a good point, aside from weird reasons as to why I find the name funny- kinda like how you go to those ghost-houses in amusement parks, and you’re scared if someone else is scared.’

‘Mass hysteria?’

‘Yeah! Like, there was this research, I’m not sure what they were trying to prove; but this actor was asked to start screaming and running out inside a mall- and shortly, other people started running too even though they didn’t know why.’

‘Ah! That reminds me- Soo, Tao-ya, the other time Baek and I were discussing this briefly – and I wanna know your opinion.’

‘What is it?’

‘Shoot.’

‘Do you think most places are _haunted _as a result of lots of people _believing _it’s haunted?’

‘Hmm.’

‘That’s plausible.’

‘You think so?’

‘I mean if masses of people still think Kid Rock is a relevant singer, then like, anything is possible.’

‘That’s oddly specific but thank you for the example.’

‘And sorry to anyone who likes Kid Rock.’

‘No! You’re not sorry! No one should be listening to that sort of music anymore-!’

_(Unsolved Vlogs fully supports anyone who wishes to listen to any type of music for their personal enjoyment)_

‘Okay and this one is from “R U Ridin’?” who just wants us to know, like almost every other comment that isn’t having an aneurysm from this episode ‘_what can we expect for the next season?’ _.’

‘We can’t say anything for sure yet! But we will be posting updates on all our social media platforms! I’m already checking out certain locations- certain stories. These things of course, takes time and planning!’

‘You guys should get a TikTok channel!’

‘Never!’

‘Sure.’

_(Over my dead body)_

‘We have a question- more like, just a funny comment, from Twitter user “Why Is She Marrying the Sample for Ghost” who says ‘_can we please have Minseok and Kyungsoo do the Say So challenge as well please’ _and has inserted a plethora of emojis I cannot describe.’

‘I SECOND THIS!’

‘_THIRD!’_

‘I absolute refuse.’

_(So did I but we were outnumbered so here it is, both Kyungsoo and I are sorry for what you’re about to witness)_

‘WHY ARE YOU BOTH SO CUTE?!’

‘PLEASE HOW DO I TATTOO THIS INTO MY EYES PERMANENTLY!’

‘_WHY ARE YOU BOTH BETTER THAN BAEKHYUN AND JONGDAE?!’_

_(moving on)_

‘Okay, we’re gonna say bye to Zitao! Thanks for joining us!’

‘_No problem! I’ll drop by to say hi when I’m around the city next time!’_

_‘_Absolutely!’

_ ‘Bye!!’ _

‘Ah, I miss him already.’

‘But ultimately we have to move and here we have our last question!’

‘This is from YouTube user “What Do You Think”-‘

‘What _do _you think?’

‘What do _you _think?’

‘What do you _think_?’

_(please stop thinking and please get on with the question)_

‘So they’re asking us, a very polite question, which is ‘_are you okay’ _and you know what, we’ve been getting this question a lot-‘

‘-asking about your general wellbeing?’

‘Yes, exactly- and it makes me wonder-‘

‘-are we actually okay?’

‘…I mean, like, physically or like…spiritually.’

‘Why do you have to say it like _that _–‘

‘What do you mean-‘

‘-I think they’re just worried that you’re putting yourselves into such strange situations that are potentially dangerous and want to know if you’re okay. Especially Baekhyun with all the screaming.’

‘Speaking of Baekhyun screaming- here’s a montage of him from this season just screaming!’

‘What-?!’

_(Montage of every scream from Baekhyun. RIP headphone users.)_

‘So we’re very okay!’

‘Don’t worry about us guys- we have each other-‘

‘-and most importantly we have Minseok-hyung.’

‘Our very own bodyguard- I saw someone say he looks like Marshal from Animal Crossing and-‘

‘OH MY GOD HE DOES-!’

‘Hyung actually they’re right-‘

‘PLEASE PUT UP A SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON I BEG-‘

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Note)
> 
> Were my fake usernames in this chapter too obvious im not sorry  
POP ROCK STRAWBERRY BUBBLEGUM  
I don’t even like sweets wtf


	17. Unsolved Vlogs Season Break Update: An Astronomical Idea [we will come up with a better name soon]

‘Hello everyone!’

‘So- we heard you’ve been missing our faces?’

‘Because we miss Minseok-hyung too!’

‘Ah, our hyung- he’s doing his thesis right now and we juniors are enjoying the strange lack of exams during this finals week.’

‘Which is why we thought we’d do a funny update right now!’

‘And if you notice that the editing is weird!’

‘Then keep that to yourself we miss Minseok-hyung for more than just editing reason!’

‘He’s studying so hard!’

‘Such a hard worker, we should all strive to be like Minseok-hyung.’

‘But this video is, unfortunately, not about Minseok-hyung!’

‘Unfortunately.’

‘It is however, to make some announcements, and then have a bit of fun!’

‘Now, before we start, I do want to say that we have most definitely shot a few episodes before alas, a pandemic hit us.’

‘We might sound comedic but guys I’m serious-‘

‘-we are very serious-‘

‘-don’t be assholes okay? Wear your masks, wash your hands, and don’t go out unless you have to. Tell the other people in your life to do the same!’

‘Do this for the people who do not have the privilege of being able to choose to stay home.’

‘Exactly. Baek and I have been very lucky with where we are staying, and the fact that we you know, tolerate each other.’

‘This depends!’

‘It truly does- but also not the point. We are lucky, that we do not need to go out, and we can stay indoors, and not have our lives compromised too badly. However, many people don’t. So for the sake of those people, stay inside as much as you can, be kind, be alert, and be informed.’

‘And also understand that this is overwhelming and an unpredictable force of change so it’s absolutely okay for you to feel down and anxious and stressed! Just because you may not be working in the frontlines doesn’t mean your worries are invalid!’

‘This is a tough situation, and one none of us ever thought we’d have to learn to adapt to! But human beings are the top of the animal kingdom because of this very reason: our ability to adapt. We will learn how to live with this, it will take time. It’s not a competition of who gets “used” to it or anything like that- we all progress in our own time.’

‘Yeah, no one expected that in this modern day and age, we would be facing a global pandemic. So don’t be too tough on yourself. If you’re not feeling good, please talk to someone about it; honestly, I can assure you there will be other people who are feeling exactly what you are. You’re not alone in this!’

‘…’

‘…’

‘Normally we’d like, say something to Minseok-hyung but-‘

‘God I miss him.’

‘I know this feels so wrong now-‘

‘Should we put up an ad here-‘

[Ad plays]

‘As you all know, we’ve been studying online for the past month now, and we know this is tough for a lot of people, so we wanted to do something to provide some form of relief, a distraction- even if for a little while! Which is why, even though we able to shoot some episodes, with Minseok-hyung busy, our next season, though definitely coming, will be delayed!’

‘But! We will have more of these…episodes? Of random fun stuff! Give us some suggestions if you want, but we’ve planned out about 5 episodes from here, all from the safety of our apartment!’

‘Yes! And we will also probably title these better?’

‘Hopefully, I cannot believe we actually came up with Unsolved Vlogs because wow.’

‘Yes, wow.’

‘So, what are we doing today Baekhyun?’

‘Today we will be reading our!

Star!

Charts!’

‘So like, our zodiac?’

‘No. And yes. This is more than just reading up what our zodiac signs mean- this is some serious

Deep

Dive

Into

The mystical realm

Of _stars!’_

‘…

I have a feeling you’re gonna edit that so that there’s a jump-cut that gets closer to your face at every word.’

[super zoom into Baekhyun’s face]

‘And you will be correct!’

‘All right then- explain a bit more about this to me.’

‘So basically- other than the sun-sign you’re born under, there are other factors you need to consider in astrology!’

‘Sounds like you know a lot.’

‘I actually don’t! But you see my dear fellow, while you were out there, making dalgona coffee, I was spending my time doing some extensive research.’

‘My arms are ripped and my adrenaline soaring, brought to you by

_Dalgona coffee.’_

[cheesy and terribly photoshop edited ad campaign insert here]

‘I always wondered what people meant by

Oh mars is in retrograde, that’s why I’ve been having a shitty day.’

‘Hey, I’ve heard that before!’

‘Yeah, and so I thought, why not?’

‘Find out why mars in retrograde equals a shitty day?’

‘Yes!’

‘Sounds fair.’

‘So I dug in more and bam!’

‘You found out why?’

‘Yeah! Because apparently, mars, the planet, represents communication! So when a planet is perceived as being retrograde, it visually appears to be moving _backwards_, so that means your communication will?’

‘…you’re talking backwards?’

‘Ye-no! No! It means you’re gonna have bad communication!

Are _we _in retrograde right now?’

[we checked and we don’t! and also I apparently have everything wrong too! It’s not Mars, it’s Mercury!]

‘So here, we are going to check, our natal chart; not full because that’s just…no one wants to watch that.’

‘Yeah I doubt it.’

‘We’re gonna link the site on the description below so you can check it out, and then we will! Check our compatibility! And then! See who is more compatible with Minseok-hyung.’

‘Ooooh!

OOOOOOOOOOH!

I love this. When you said you had a great idea.

You were really on to something.’

[loud highfive]

‘Okay! Kim Jongdae! Born September 21st, 1992. Correct?’

‘Yes!’

‘Great, let’s do this! You are!

Virgo Sun! Cancer Moon! Libra Mercury! Oooh another Libra in _Venus_, and finally Cancer in Mars!’

[Yeah I know I was saying it wrong]

‘I have no idea what this means so please do me the honours!’

‘Okay, Mr. Virgo Sun, basically the Sun in astrology is: “_-represents vitality, a sense of individuality, and outward-shining creative energy.”_’

‘I love to outward shine creative energy!’

‘_”It is rare to find the stereotypical nitpicky, exacting, "clean freak" in modern-day Virgos. Although the sign of Virgo has evolved with the times, there are some unmistakable traits that remain. Virgo people are generally respectable, hard-working individuals who have a love of knowledge and know-how.”_ – what do you think about this?’

‘I guess I’m neat?’

‘You are.’

‘I like to think I’m hard-working, and with a desire to know more.’

‘I think we all do.’

‘Yeah! So it’s general?’

‘Moving ahead!

Your keywords are: _analytical, intelligent, reserved, critical, helpful, conscientious._

And I think, you know what Jongdae, I think you are all of these, in the best way possible.’

‘Aw! Thank you!’

‘Okay but I love this and I agree!

_“You are usually good-hearted, possessing strong morals and much faith in life and in people. You prefer to find the good in situations and in people. You don't have a lot of patience with those who break the rules, as you generally believe in order, equality, and the law. You usually make good on your promises, and the sincerity you exude can be trusted. Looking on the bright side is your forte--people can turn to you for a pleasing dose of faith and optimism_.” – I can testify to this folks, in the best way possible- this man right here, is just such a solid _solid _human being.’

‘DON’T MAKE ME CRY WE’RE IN A PANDEMIC AND I’M NOT EMOTIONALLY STABLE-‘

[Ad plays]

‘Your moon! Is in Cancer-

‘-Mr. Krab.’

‘…’

‘…’

‘So-

The moon basically expressed emotion, the unconscious, self-expression, and self-image.

They say of you that _“She is likeable and sociable. Very sensitive to environmental conditions and surroundings. She likes home, habits, comfort and her little world. Very caring and protective of loved ones.”_’

‘She?’

‘She.’

‘Did the website automatically assume I’m female?’

‘I think most people assume only people who identify as female care about astrology.’

‘Ex_cuse me-!’_

[Jongdae had a tirade about micro-sexism until we realized we forgot to change the gender option on the first loading page]

‘So I think it’s safe to say I do love home, and the comforts that come with it.’

‘Definitely- never met a homier boy before.’

‘Minseok-hyung though.’

‘Minseok-hyung is the homiest man.’

‘He’s gonna hate that.’

‘So! Your Mercury is in Libra!’

‘The scales right?’

‘Yes! Mercury represent communication, and logic. It says here that _“Usually quite diplomatic and tactful, she evaluates and weighs things up endlessly, often to the point of indecisiveness. Of good judgment, she expresses herself clearly. Before coming to an opinion on a subject, she listens to the opinions offered by various people and can compare them before making up her own mind. Mental affinity in her relationships is paramount. She is good at compromising and always tries to put herself in others' shoes. Some mental laziness.”-_ HAHAHA-!!’

‘SOME MENTAL LAZINESS!!!’

[hysterical laughing ensues]

‘But I think this describes you quite well! You do offer good advice, you listen and don’t immediately make up your mind based on what others have said! But you also come up with good compromises. I think that sums up this channel entirely!’

‘I quite like that! I mean, it’s what I would like to be- minus the mental laziness-‘

[more laughter]

‘All right it’s time for _Venus-‘_

[terrible saxophone music with heart filters and a bad png image of the Birth of Venus]

‘So your Venus is also in Libra! Venus represents emotions, values, and sharing with others. I already see great things for you.’

‘Eh-‘

‘-“_Venus in Libra people will impress you with their kindness, evenhandedness, and willingness to make your relationship work. They have a polished manner in love, which sometimes makes them appear insincere or superficial.”-_ I absolutely stand by this. Wow, natal chart reading is actually super accurate this is a _science-‘_

‘-I don’t think I’d described myself as _polished_?’

‘I think you have a very sincere and gentle approach, without any grandiose flair; kinda like a wonderful and mild spring rain over fresh flowers.’

‘…that was really nice I’m gonna cry again-‘

[ANOTHER AD OKAY JUST SKIP IT]

‘-and finally! Another Cancer!’

‘Mars is the Roman god of war, wasn’t he.’

‘Yes he was but this is not about war! Mars represents the desire for action and physical energy!

_“This position inclines toward passive-aggressiveness. These people seem to resist change and to shy away from direct confrontations. They need to feel secure before they act.”.’_

‘Hm- minus being passive aggressive, isn’t it better to be secure in yourself before acting?’

‘Yeah, I think normally, that would definitely be the case. But it’s not like we can all control how we feel and how we express them at every single moment.’

‘Yeah- and I think most people don’t like direct confrontations.’

‘Absolutely agreed! WAIT WAIT OH MY GOD LOOK AT THIS I’M-!’

[we laughed so loud we couldn’t fix any audio so here’s subtitles with soothing music instead]

-_HAHAHAHHAHAAHAHA YOUR LOVE AFFAIRS ARE-_

_-THEY’RE-choke-HAHAHAHA-_

_-PASSIONATE- HEEEHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHA- YOUR LOVE AFFAIRS ARE- gasp – PASSIONATE!!!_

_-AND- wheeze – DARK SIDE OF OUR NATURES- HAHAHAHAHAHA_

[And we’re back]

‘Okay so it’s my turn!’

‘I shall read them out loud!

You are

Byun Baekhyun, born May 6th, in the year of our lord 1992?’

‘I mean, yeah.’

‘Cool- so according to this you have your Sun in Taurus, your Moon is in Gemini, your Mercury is in Aries, Venus in Taurus, and Mars in Aries!’

‘Is it just me or do my signs come off as quite male.’

‘…I mean, I see what you mean.’

‘Please read on!’

‘Okay so, “_There is something very solid about Taurus natives, no matter what the rest of their charts say about them. Though they are dependable most of the time-“_ HAHA-, _most. “This generally shows itself more in habit than in outright helpfulness.” _Right off the bat- I feel like you’ve been kinda roasted!’

‘Wait- why does mine start off like this? This is unfair!’

‘Okay wait there’s more!

Um, “_Taurus natives are sensual folk--and this includes sex_-“ – HAHAHAHAHAHAHA-‘

[insert close up shot of Baekhyun’s increasingly distraught facial expression with terrible sax music]

“-they delight in the sensual pleasures of food, a comfortable blanket, a richly colored aquarium to look at, the smell of flowers or spring rain, pleasing melodies coming from their stereos, and so forth. Some might even say they live through their senses more than most.” – and you know what, this is nice. You really do appreciate these small things in every day life.’

‘Oh god, I thought my charts were gonna say I was some sexual deviant and-‘

‘-you were gonna have to own it?’

‘-oh no, what if I’m too sexy? Like, what if my sex appeal is like- too much and I’ve never known

This is

A new super power?’

‘Anyways, moving past your extreme animal magnetism, “_He is strong-willed. He has charm, and he is tolerant and stoical. He likes pleasure and the good things in life. Appreciates the Arts_.” – oh but, I know some people use this the wrong way, and it’s often used to describe people who are like, two-faced, but I do agree that you are a charming person. People come to you, not because you seem _easy_ or anything, but you just have such a wonderful and sweet nature.’

‘You really think so?’

[uncomfortably close zoom into Baekhyun’s face]

‘I know so.’

[uncomfortably close zoom into Jongdae’s face as he nods]

‘And now for your moon!

_“Lunar Geminis are usually pleasant, witty, and charming people.”-_ there! My point exactly! _“An underlying restlessness is common, and many Lunar Geminis need more stimulation than others. They usually read a lot, talk a lot, and think a lot with this airy, mutable position of the Moon.”’_

‘Oh my god? So it’s just my moon that makes me like this?’

‘I think a lot of things make you like this.’

‘Wow- thank you moon, you’re a real queen, love you!’

[shout out to the moon for just being great]

‘And it also says here, “_They are sociable and friendly, and feel comfortable in crowds. Some pay too much attention to what everyone else is doing, and lose touch with what they really want to do. Generally, Lunar Geminis have a million and one projects going.”_’

‘Oh! But this is true!’

‘I think it’s true for most-‘

‘-because I do feel like in the midst of my attempt to do so many things, I lose track of what I was supposed to initially do!’

‘I guess we could say that this part is at least somewhat true then?’

‘Yes! The moon never lies!’

‘Well, you know what Shakespeare says about the moon.’

‘What does he say?’

‘…’

‘…’

‘…’

‘…’

‘-look, I’m not a literature student I’m sure Shakespeare has said something about the moon _somewhere-‘_

[we apologize to all people who like Shakespeare we are uncultured swine]

‘Okay- more on the moon in Gemini! _“Sharp intellect. He likes literature-“_ HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-!’

‘-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!’

[water break! Gotta keep hydrated!]

_‘“-and will adapt to all situations and social groups. Work in contact with the public, literary occupations, travel.”_

This is nice!’

‘Let’s please move on!’

‘Okay let’s now look at you Mercury! Which is in Aries!

_“He makes quick decisions, may streamline learning, can be direct and straightforward in speech, possessing an innocent charm, and can easily motivate others with his enthusiasm.”_

Hey, I think this is pretty accurate!’

‘I think…I think so too yeah!’

‘Also adds that “He is very resourceful and capable. May prefer to jump into a decision and may not have much patience with pretense or actions that are clearly unrighteous to him.” – and this is true! You guys should see Baekhyun take down people in class sometimes- Baek doesn’t bite, but when he barks: it’s over for you.

I remember that one time in class, we were _freshman! FRESHMAN! _And the way you went _off _at our lecturer for his UI/UX course-‘

‘-oh my god yeah oh wow-‘

‘-okay let me set the scene’

[swift hand gestures]

‘-we’re learning stuff about websites, god I remember this so well because of what happened- and how UI/UX is important- and the lecturer pulls up examples of good UI/UX but it’s using the example of a “good girlfriend”- so they needed to be “attractive”, “easy to use”, “consistent and reliable”, and “simple”.’

‘IT STILL MAKES ME SO ANGRY! UGGHH!’

‘So I think first problem we had was that there were no girls in the classroom- at least not in that section. And some of the guys were laughing and like, agreeing- I’m thinking of taking a picture of this slide and taking it up with the school administration or something, but Baekhyun here stands up and- I can’t remember what he said, but he called the lecturer, I think, a shame. And how he brought dishonour to his position, to the course, to the school- to _websites_\- and most of all, to men for being such a try-hard, in an attempt to seem “hip” with his young male students.

THEN HE WALKS OFF AND I WAS JUST LIKE THAT ONE MEME VIDEO REACTION-!

[insert that one meme video reaction]

‘So yeah, that was a great moment, and damn, we were both called into the Dean’s office after that and the lecturer received a warning from the office-‘

‘-it should have been more than just a warning!’

‘-and he hates us till today!’

‘That he does!’

‘So yes- this part is definitely true!’

[close up shot of embarrassed but somewhat pleased Baekhyun with the caption “local boy hates sexism in class”]

‘Now it’s time for!

[terrible 80’s music and flashing edits]

‘I’M YOUR VENUS! I’M YOUR FIRE! PURE DESIRE!’

‘That can’t be a real song-‘

‘-it is!’

‘I hate this, thank you.’

‘You’re welcome! So, Venus is in Taurus which means: “Venus in Taurus people can be possessive in love, and they are threatened by fast-paced, high-energy situations in the context of relationships and love. These are sensual partners who require lots of _"hands-on" expressions of love.”_

‘Please don’t make any jokes-‘

‘-I see absolutely nothing comedic in those sentences Baekhyun. I have no idea what you mean.’

‘…’

‘…’

‘…’

‘…-well I mean there’s nothing wrong with some hands-on –‘

‘I’M TELLING YOU NOT TO-‘

[An ad!!!!!]

‘“He is good-hearted and generous, possessing a good character. He likes well-being, comfort, a life of ease, without problems. He has good relations with his social circle. He is easy to approach. All the same, he may fall in love easily. He has a successful partnership and professional life. People usually trust him.”’

‘I absolutely accept this! I am a good boy!’

[close up of Baekhyun as Jongdae side-eyes him, clutching at his arm, as Baekhyun gives a wide grin, over him a caption that reads “local boy is a good local boy!”]

‘And now finally! Your Mars is in Aries!’

‘Exciting!’

‘…so yes. Ehem, _“This is a very impulsive position of Mars. The first instinct for Mars in Aries people is to take action. Quick flare-ups characterize the Mars in Aries character, but their anger usually doesn't last for too long. In fact, these people generally don't live in the past, and are not given to holding grudges or feeling resentful.”_\- well, clearly this is not too true seeing as you’re still angry at our lecturer-‘

‘-sometimes, you need anger to maintain justice.’

‘I-…’

‘Okay let’s look at our compatibility!

I thought that we could just google our signs compatibility and see what’s the first result!’

‘By all means, the floor if yours!’

‘So okay-‘

[obnoxious typing sounds]

‘Here we go and-!

But of course.’

‘Of course.’

‘I mean, are we even surprised.’

‘Not at all.’

‘Look guys: Taurus and Virgo compatibility: _soulmates_.’

‘I knew it.’

‘Just listen guys: _“Being on the same zodiacal wavelength, the Taurus and the Virgo will connect on the most intimate of levels. ... Because they know any relationship must be based on trust and devotion, the Virgo and Taurus apply fully these principles and hide nothing from each other.”_

Wow- this is absolutely amazing.

And obvious.’

‘Everyone who looks at us thinks that.

_Soulmates.’_

‘Like, we don’t even have to go any further than this.’

‘But we have an extra bit! Who is more compatible with Minseok-hyung! I wanna see this! I bet it’s me.’

‘Hold it down little Virgo man, because I bet it’s me! I’m more loveable!’

‘Can’t believe you said that with a straight face.’

‘Okay-‘

[even more obnoxious typing sounds]

‘HAHAHA!’

‘What the fuuuudge ice-cream?! Are you kidding me?? _“The relationship of Aries and Taurus is quite challenging” _IT’S NOT MINSEOK-HYUNG LOVES ME-‘

‘MY TURN!’

[rapidly obnoxious typing as Baekhyun reels in horror]

‘HAHAHA! TAKE THAT-‘

‘HOW IS THIS-

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!’

‘Hahaha! “The Aries and Virgo compatibility can be beautiful or deadly.” HA! _Deadly!_’

‘Wait- this one- oh no-‘

‘_“When Aries and Virgo come together in a love match, they may think at first that they have nothing in common and nothing to learn from one another.”_

HAHAHAHA!’

[short break as we mourn our lack of compatibility with Minseok-hyung. Though that does explain why he’s always so tired after spending time filming with us. We’re sorry hyung. The stars have spoken T_T]

‘So! That’s it for today’s uh- random video thingy!’

‘We hope you enjoyed that and tell us in the comments what you’d like to see us do!’

‘That’s probably too broad an invitation.’

‘…what you’d like to see us do that won’t be de-monetized!’

‘Better!’

‘Bye!’

‘May the stars shine down favourably on you!’

‘Be gone retrograde Mars!’

[yes, we know it’s Mercury now]

*

Indigo_Salad: _I know that they’re roasting each other a lot but that- that bit when they read out those parts that they liked so much because they were true? Can we say baekchen are just the best people_

minghaoFrogagenda: _This…this was just baekchen expressing their love for each other in astrology form damn, how does it feel to have a soulmate can’t relate_

StanSeventeenRightNow:_ Why did …I feel…like I was third-wheeling…_

Mareete: _LOL I’M CRYING THEY’RE BOTH SO UPSET WITH THEIR RESULTS WITH MINSEOK’S_

Corona is not a myth: _ID WATCH EVERY AD JUST FOR THEM LMAO I LOVE THEM SO MUCH also really appreciating the isolation hair_

Im Just A Kidult in a Capitalist World: _Just thinking about how nice their couch is, that is Nice™ couch like, where did y’all get it?_

WASHYOURFUCKINGHANDS: _MISSED YOU GUYS SO MUCH IT’S SO NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN_

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _So- I guess I’m in love with a local boy, that’s good to know._

There is no war in: _I love this so much, it feels so nice to have them banter like this, don’t get me wrong I loved the fun horror episodes but these feel so comforting and just- like they’re my buddies that I’m face-timing or something_

DaeDroid: _I just found out I have the same Venus as Baekhyun I have never felt more validated in my life_

GrimArtandStuff: _this was a change of pace that I didn’t realize I needed! Thank you so much for still putting out content during this time I hope you guys are safe and so is Minseok!_

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _I suggest an episode where you learn how to do 5 dance challenges but you have to learn it all in one hour lmao rip_

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s notes
> 
> true story that UI/UX thing happened to me in class  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol, so im gonna have special random baekchen chapter updates for a while, of just them being the wonderful supportive best friends that they are. I wanted to write something funny, and I thought it’d be hilarious to have baekchen do this because I think Jongdae would not be at all interested in astrology irl, but I feel like Baekhyun would be the type to give it a go and actually find it interesting.  
And if you guys wanna check your full natal chart! It’s here!  
Its fun to do, and like Jongdae im not a believer in astrology, but it’s fun to do because honestly, there’s no harm in it and it’s nice to think that my moon is right in between the time pisces and aquarius shift in the night sky. I think that’s quite pretty ^_^  
astro.cafeastrology.com  
also actually both baekchen’s compatibility with minseok’s isn’t too bad! Just thought that it’d be hilarious that they point out the few results that point out that it’s not a good match hahaha  
also if anyone wants to spend some great quality time jamming to an amazing live concert recording then look no more, I give to you Day6’s concert:  
[ here! ](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn-4XerPUFq0tQen7gQF8pUQ4VqkC_ybt)  
didn’t think I could love deep in love more, but performed live is just THAT song my god what a good song  
AND WHO ELSE REALLY VIBING WITH SEVENTEEN’S COMEBACK???????   
LEFT AND RIGHT  
LEFT AND RIGHT  
LEFT AND RIGHT  
RIP IT RIP IT


	18. Unsolved Vlogs Season Break Update: Quarantine Bods (MINSEOK HYUNG IS SHREDDED AF THIS IS NOT CLICK BAIT)

‘So- quarantine am I right?’

‘This is a terrible introduction to what we’re doing today.’

‘It’s already on the title, I don’t think anything we say _now _will matter.’

‘…I mean I guess-‘

‘Guys welcome back to unsolved! Where we try to solve!’

‘Quarantine bods!’

‘By which we mean!’

‘Solving the issue of this chunka-hunka-munka jiggle all over our bodies!’

‘Now I want to put an instant disclaimer out right now- during this time, you’ll hear a lot of people say things like “you should work on being productive- like working out, improving your body, reading books, getting into hobbies”- and stuff like that.’

‘And we just want to put our opinion- OPINION- in on this which is-‘

‘-that’s bullshit. Absolute bullshit.’

‘Let’s try and not swear.’

‘It’s bull-crap. This is a hard time, emotionally, mentally, psychologically- _financially_. Just because you are in quarantine doesn’t mean your worries are all just gone- so take it easy on yourselves. Don’t feel guilty about putting on weight, or not catching up on books or shows or whatever despite having this abundance of time. There are so many factors to be considered, don’t let some hoo-ha on the internet-‘

‘-WHICH ALSO INCLUDES US BY THE WAY-‘

‘-tell you what to do during this time!’

‘Be kind to yourselves everyone!’

‘Unlike what we’re about to do!’

‘Nice segue.’

‘Thanks- because genuinely, this is going to hurt!’

‘Today we will be starting out on!’

‘A two week fitness shred by the one and only queen of online fitness videos!’

‘Chloe Ting!’

‘Not sponsored or in collaboration by the way.’

‘And now- as you all know, and have seen, we’re not…not exactly the highest quality specimen of physical fitness.’

‘We are not! And there’s no shame in admitting so!’

‘I mean, we do try to stay fit. We normally walk everywhere we go, and we try to live healthy clean lives.’

‘We do!’

‘But as quarantine no longer allows us to go for walks, we’ve been…well, lagging behind in the whole health thing.’

‘Yeah- honestly, somehow the more time I have, the more I don’t want to cook.’

‘Which has resulted in eating a lot of processed food and basically- it’s just not helping us out.’

‘Yeah- and besides, I have these child-bearing hips, and you know what they say about hips- they don’t lie.’

‘Baekhyun this is not an ABO fanfic please-‘

‘-OH BABY WHEN YOU TALK LIKE THAT YOU MAKE A WOMAN GO MAD!’

[WE’RE PUTTING IN AN AD RIGHT NOW]

‘So we need to try and get back on a healthier lifestyle!’

‘Which is why! We turned to someone, through Zoom of course, who we know is absolutely shredded and ripped with pure glistening sweaty hot muscles and stamina for days!’

‘Minseok-hyung!’

_‘Is…is that really the introduction…’_

‘Yeah!’

_‘…and you’re going to put this in right?’_

‘Of course!’

‘You’re studying right now and we miss you and we know you work out and we wouldn’t want to impede on your schedule by asking you to edit so we’re doing that, and also killing 3 birds with one stone by asking if we can join you for a workout session so we can see your handsome face!’

_‘…-three birds-?’_

‘SO we watched the Chloe Ting workout and Minseok-hyung sent us 3 links to start off with!’

‘That’s a total of 30 minutes, more or less.’

‘Hyung, I think we could do more than 30 minutes.’

_‘We’re doing those 3, no more.’_

‘Yes hyung-.’

‘-understood hyung.’

‘And we will start with a warm-up, a 15 minute shred meant to be done for 2 weeks, and a cooldown!’

‘We will be putting the links down in the description box!’

‘Hyung, can you tell us a bit more about these workouts? We watched it and it doesn’t seem too bad, is that why you suggested this?’

‘Yeah- I follow her other workouts- mainly the HIIT programs. Especially now that I can’t go to the gym.’

‘What’s HIIT? Not that _I _don’t know, but for the viewers!’

_‘HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training._

_They’re short bursts of high-energy cardio and anaerobic exercises. _

_You basically do them as hard as you can, and as fast as you can.’_

‘This reminds me, hyung, is there something you want to add to that?’

_‘…is this the segue you mentioned-?’_

‘YES!’

_‘Right- uh, a special episode will drop maybe next week, something we shot way before quarantine- it was meant to be the first episode of Season 3 but we will be putting it up, and all the revenue from the ads will be going to local organizations that are distributing care packages for the elderly.’_

‘I knew Minseok-hyung would be perfect for this. He just-!

So genuine and wonderful I love him so much.’

_‘I can hear you.’_

‘We know!

So next week is a special episode and like Minseok-hyung said, 100% of the money made from the ads will go directly to local organization, all their links and information will be posted in the video next week as well as on our Twitter, Instagram, and Patreon! So if you want to donate to them directly, you can!’

‘And if you’re wondering how HIIT became a segue into this well-‘

‘-you’re going to have to check the next episode and find out why!’

‘All right! So let’s get started?’

[a few moments later]

‘I love my exercise mat, it’s so cute.’

‘Isn’t it distracting?’

‘Yes.’

‘…okay hyung! We have our mats out!’

_‘All right then- are we ready? On three!’_

‘Ready!’

‘Ready!’

_‘One._

_Two._

_Three!’_

**(Hey guys this is a warm up routine that’s perfect to do before any workout of the day. We’ve got 12 exercises in this warm up-)**

‘Wait- did she say _exercises _as in this is not just stretching?’

**(-and no rest time in between.)**

‘It should be okay! Warm up is just to get your heart rate going and get you moving and ready for the actual exercise!’

‘Okay!’

**(Let’s start with a simple march. You can speed it up to a jog, but this is great if you’re getting started.)**

‘We’re sticking to a march.’

‘Agreed-

Hyung, why are you jogging?’

‘This is fun! The music is cheery!’

**(Plant your feet apart and we’re doing some cross body toe touches. We’re doing a full range of motion as this will really help with your next work out.)**

‘WEE!

I’M AN “X”!’

‘Am I supposed to bend my knees or no-?’

‘_You can.’_

‘Hey this is fun, we can totally incorporate these!

I think it’ll be good to do these in the morning, to just stretch our arms and legs out.

Motion is lotion after all.’

‘I hate how you say things sometimes.’

‘But seriously, all those cracking in your body?

It comes from not moving your joints or from being stationary for too long!

It’s normal of course and-‘

‘…did you just lose your breath?’

‘No!’

‘Hyung are you actually doing full lunges…she said it’s not needed…’

**(We’re doing some arm circles next-)**

‘This sounds like fun!’

‘I- wait, why does this hurt?’

**(Great work guys-)**

‘Thanks Chloe!’

‘Thank you Chloe!’

‘I love that name- _inch worm_\- but wait-‘

‘-I have no balance what the heck-‘

(Now we’re moving onto lunge taps. Just nice and easy guys, no need to go all out, just go at your own pace!)

‘WAIT I’M STILL INCH-WORMING CHLOE HOLD UP-!’

‘Why does this feel difficult too?’

**(We’re halfway through-)**

‘Oh! Okay but that’s a relief I think-‘

‘Wow, Minseok-hyung that’s so cool your rhythm is so spot on!’

_‘Thank you?’_

**(And next we’re doing a squat with our arms crossed like so to warm up the entire body. This is a full body movement.)**

‘This is really a warm up- feeling warm.’

‘Wait- I can’t go any lower than this-‘

‘-that’s barely anything-‘

‘-_you’re _not going any lower either!’

‘HYUNG HOW ARE YOU FORMING 90 DEGREE ANGLES LIKE THAT?!’

(All right now, get into a low lunge and move your hands up like so-)

‘Like what?!’

‘I didn’t catch that either-‘

‘HYUNG!’

[a few moments later]

‘This hurts-‘

‘Oh god my thighs- the back of my thighs- why are they hurting-?!’

(Now get on all fours and use your knee to draw some imaginary circles! Just two more exercises and we’re done!)

‘My coordination is so bad oh god guys-‘

‘Hyung how are your circles so- so _circle?!’_

_‘It’s practice! You can’t get it right immediately, don’t worry about it too much.’_

‘Okay, thank you hyung!’

**(Now get up right and we’re doing some standing crunches. Remember to engage your core-)**

‘Engage my what? Isn’t this just a warm up?’

‘Wait- I’ve- I’ve heard people talk about engaging your core and-

-and what does it mean?

Hyung?’

_‘Some people describe it by saying to tuck your belly button to your spine-‘_

‘What?!’

_‘-but it’s kinda like, flexing your abdomen, kinda like when you exhale after a cough, that kinda clenched feeling? That’s engaging your core.’_

‘Oh-‘

**(And the final exercise is cross jacks-)**

‘Wait- I don’t think we should be jumping-‘

**(-you’ve got this! Let’s finish up!)**

‘Okay Chloe I trust you!’

[a few moments later]

‘I- I can taste colour-‘

‘-what-…what taste are you then-?’

‘-like-

[wheeze] [gasp] [audible problems breathing]

-I think- maybe I’m-

Really watered down-

…-watermelon that’s-…that’s not ripe-‘

‘Uh…uhh [groaning] [wheezing]

-uhh- yeah- gross. I guess.’

_‘…guys that was the warm up…’_

‘…’

‘…’

_‘…’_

‘…’

‘…’

_‘…’_

[15 minutes later]

**(Hey everyone today’s workout is only 13 minutes-!)**

‘We can do this!’

‘Yeah!’

‘And after all of this quarantine is over!

We can intimidate ghosts and demons with our muscles!’

‘YEAH!’

**(All right we have three sets with seven exercises each, five to ten seconds rest and 15 seconds rest in between sets-)**

‘Okay, we can do this- 13 minutes right?’

**(Let’s kick things off with cross-body mountain climber!)**

‘That sounds good?’

[3 minutes later]

‘Chloe please I can’t-!’

‘CHLOE PLEASE!’

‘WAIT WAIT-

HYUNG STOP!’

_‘…are you guys okay?’_

[we were not okay]

**(We’ve got a quick 5 seconds break and then we’ve got Burpees next)**

‘This is too short to be 5 seconds what the fuc-‘

[Insert side by side shot of coordinated burpees vs 2 young men flopping on the ground while screaming]

‘WHY IS BODY AGAINST ME?’

‘OH GOD THIS IS ONLY 40 SECONDS BUT WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE 3 YEARS?’

[loud breathing into mics, sorry about this, this is definitely NOT categorized into ASMR. If you don’t want to look at us, please just look at Minseok-hyung’s side of the video, I can assure you it’s much more satisfying]

‘I can hear the-!

-the ti_mer!’_

**(We’ll have a 10 seconds break and next is high knees)**

‘I can feel my pulse in my eyes is this normal-?’

**(Make sure your core is engaged and bring your knees up to your hip level.)**

‘Knees up to where-?!’

**(Do it fast and controlled and remember to breathe!)**

‘I’m trying Chloe I really am!’

‘Can I do the low-impact version my legs are like noodles I can’t-‘

_‘You guys can do low-impact versions!_

_I told you guys it’s okay to do low-impact-.’_

‘I’m pushing through and I’m breathing I won’t-!

-won’t let this break me!

I am a-!

-young healthy man-!

-with no reason to be this-!

-argh [grunting and groaning].’

‘J-Jongdae-?

You- [groaning]-you okay?!’

‘TIMER!’

**(All right we have push-up with mountain climber next)**

‘This can’t be 5 seconds break it’s too short I don’t understand time-‘

‘-push-up and _what-?!’_

‘_Guys, just do either one of the exercises, don’t try do both.’_

‘My coordination-

What am I doing I don’t understand-‘

‘I nearly kicked myself I don’t even know how-‘

‘BREATHE!

CHLOE SAID BREATHE!’

‘BREATHING!’

‘IT’S THE TIMER OH GOD-‘

[I feel bad for Minseok-hyung he clearly looks like he feels bad but rest-assured guys, we survived]

** (Skater jump is next. This is a really great exercise to keep your heart rate up!)**

‘No I can’t do it Chloe I beg-‘

‘My heart rate is already up-‘

**(Make sure you take a big jump, but be safe guys, that’s really important. For low impact, you can it without the jump!)**

‘I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do with my right leg-‘

‘How- how is this figure-skating-

-…wait, hyung why are you actually doing the jump-?!’

[Pause.]

[If you were thinking from my actions here that I looked like I blacked out you would be right]

**(The last exercise for Set 1 is Spider-Man plank!)**

‘But-

But Spider-Man is-

-he’s airborne-!’

** (This is a great exercise to work the abs, so keep going guys, you can do this!)**

‘Your faith in me is misplaced Chloe-!’

‘Chloe please, have mercy-!’

[we are so sorry for what you’re witnessing, we genuinely thought this would be a fun and uplifting video. You’re just watching two young men get destroyed by a fitness routine]

‘_Do you want to take a break between the sets?’_

‘Y E S.’

‘Y E S.’

‘You know what-

-We’re not going to subject you to this torture-

-here’s a montage of us suffering.’

[Here is a minute of compressed sped-up video of us exercising for the next 10 minute]

[Oh, and this too:]

‘…’

‘…’

‘…’

‘…’

‘…wow…’

‘…yeah…’

‘…’

‘…’

_‘-HEY!’_

‘Sorry!’

‘Hyung it’s just-‘

_‘-hold on were you just-…were you just watching me?!’_

[Here’s an ad!]

‘OH GOD FINALLY THE COOLDOWN!’

‘WILL WE HAVE TO DO THE UP AND DOWN PLANKS AS PART OF THE COOLDOWN I DON’T TRUST ANYONE!’

_‘It’s genuinely a good cooldown, you’ll be okay guys._

_You both did very well for your first time trying a Chloe Ting workout video._

_You guys did great.’_

‘Really?’

_‘Really.’_

[neither of us know if those are tears or sweat on our faces]

**(Hey guys hope you’re enjoying my workouts! This is a cool down and stretch that you can add to your playlist to do after any of my workouts!)**

‘Oh thank you, we’re sitting down for this one.’

‘YOU SPOKE TOO SOON-

Oh, it’s still on the floor okay-‘

[We’re speeding this up as well but it genuinely made us feel better when we were done despite what you’re about to witness]

‘Uh- can you guys hear me?’

[a hand flails up to form a thumb’s up]

‘Jongdae-ah, don’t lie down on your front, turn over.’

[a body flops over much like a fish out of water]

‘…’

‘…’

‘…’

[5 minutes later and we’re still on the floor but at least we’re on our backs!]

‘Can’t promise you guys on this but we might post pictures because-

[wheeze]

-because there’s no way this doesn’t _shred _you-‘

‘There _has _to be results after doing-

-doing this-‘

_‘…Jongdae you’re turning purple.’_

‘Nonsense hyung- it’s-

[shallow wheezing groans and pants]

-just how I naturally am.’

‘Well- this was totally-

-totally fun!

[barely audible and heavily slurred words]

It’s great!’

‘Yeah I- I feel really good!’

_‘…I can’t see either of your faces…_

_And uh…Baekhyun-ah, I think maybe adjust your uh, position on the floor, it kinda looks wrong.’_

‘Just blur me.

I don’t want to move a muscle.’

‘…’

‘…’

_‘…’_

‘…’

‘…’

_‘Okay, um, I hope you enjoyed this episode, and uh, please check out the workout routine we did! Chloe Ting has an amazing range of exercises that you can add to your daily life! _

_It’s all free, and very effective too! And like Jongdae mentioned in passing about jumping inside apartments, she has several where there’s no jumping involved! _

_Um, so yeah, I hope you all stay safe, I hope we were able to at least make you smile!’_

* * *

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _I DIDN’T THINK THEY WOULD ACTUALLY BLUR BAEKHYUN FOR THE REST OF THE VIDEO I’M CRYING_

minghaoFrogagenda: _The fact that Jongdae knows about ABO just took 20 years from my lifespan I don’t know what to do with myself anymore. And the fact that this all happens in the first minute of the video i-_

Mareete: _WHEN I HEARD THAT SONG MY WHOLE LIFE FLASHED BEFORE MY EYES (not kidding I quit 3 days in) CHLOE IS A FITNESS DEMON THAT LOOKS LIKE A SWEET ANGEL_

Professional Procrastinator 3000: _Anyone else vaguely terrified of what’s gonna happen next week because I cannot for the life of me understand how HIIT segways into their normal unsolved content_

Indigo_salad: _LMAO I REALIZED I WAS STARING AT MINSEOK WORKING OUT THE SAME TIME THEY WERE DOING IT_

167 Is Average Height_: __I’ve been doing this exact exercise too I don’t envy the muscle soreness that’s gonna hit them. Also, really appreciated Minseok’s arm, where’s that cursed JB tweet that just says “arm”?_

Today is March 89: _The timer beeping from 3 to 1 is the best thing you’ll hear during a Chloe Ting workout I promise you. That, and ads. _

Bread for Cheeks, Cheeks for Bread: _Baekhyun saying he can taste colours is so valid because that’s how I am after I physically exert myself too_

DaeDroid: _…this really wasn’t clickbait i-_

DaeDroid: _…Minseok is…did you guys…see his triceps when he was leaning in to talk to the camera…I have…never been more confused_

GrimArtandStuff: _I am so strangely motivated to workout now I never thought a supernatural channel on youtube would insoire me to take up working out_

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _I’m sending this to Chloe so she can react to it on her next reaction videos this is priceless_

SinB is My High Priestess: _Okay so guys listen. I did her 2 weeks abs shred routine and let me tell you, I got abs. Jongdae and Baekhyun are both quite fit actually, HIIT if you’re not used to it, takes YOU THE FUCK OUT even if you’re fit. So my point is…what if when they post their result pictures and_

Incorrect Baekhyun Quotes:_@SinB is My High Priestess__ “WHAT IF WHEN THEY POST THEIR RESULT PICTURES AND-“ AND WHAT OP?? _

Baguette Au Pain: _@Incorrect Baekhyun Quotes the visual idea of Jongdae and Baekhyun being ripped and posting it up online was too powerful for them, so they couldn’t complete their comment it’s okay it happens to us all._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> Yes I am doing the Chloe Ting workout and yes I am dying!  
It’s great!  
I do a 5 minute warm-up, and a 10 minute no-jump workout, then a 15 minute leg workout, and then a 10 minute cool down! I was in pain for a whole week but I feel so much better as a human being right now!  
Also the next update is going to be so fun I cannot even begin to explain the-


	19. Unsolved Vlogs Special Episode: The Haunting of the Fifth Division Training Grounds

Minseok greatly appreciated no longer filming in the freezing cold of December to January. However, it was still cold and past the city pollution, out here in the wide open military camp training grounds. It also didn’t help that it had rained the night before. At least it wasn’t weird snow that made everything gross and yucky. Minseok is infinitely grateful for his thick socks inside his rain-boots.

Admittedly they’re here _very _early, and the sun wasn’t even out yet, so maybe it would hopefully become a little warmer later in the day.

‘Wow, I do not like this place one bit!’ Baekhyun declares at once, looking about the massive field below them. ‘It already looks haunted!’

‘It’s the lighting,’ Jongdae deadpans.

The reason why they were out here at 6 am in the morning during the weekend at a mainly empty military training camp ground was because of a supposed ghostly apparition that was actually quite famous. The reason why Minseok knows it’s famous is because _he’s _heard about it himself. He had done his military enlistment when he was younger, and at the time, he was made aware of many urban legends revolving around certain bases or training grounds. And Minseok _knows_\- he knows there is truth to so many of these stories because one of the training grounds he had been in for 2 months was claustrophobically packed with traumatized spirits.

There’s a unique strain of sadness in the ghosts of young men and women lost in an enforced routine, ruins of a fight that wasn’t their own. Minseok had forced himself to ignore what was around him- and it was the almost 2 years of this that nearly nulled his senses.

‘Oh! Look at that!’ Baekhyun suddenly points. An open military grade jeep pulls up towards them from down the sloping hill of a driveway. Minseok redirects his camera from the scenery. ‘Our hosts?’

Son Hyunwoo and Lee Wonho were two trainers at the Fifth Division Training Grounds Facility. They had their own YouTube channel where they uploaded training programs, vlogs, and other fitness related videos. They had a good following, and had been invited several times to different television programs as well. From what Minseok has observed, the two of them did not seem to be the type to believe in the supernatural- not because of the stereotype that masculine men would be disinterested or find the notion of anything supernatural to be subpar and weak, but because well-

_‘They look too soft to be military obstacle course trainers,’_ Jongdae had said, squinting at their pictures some days ago.

_‘Don’t judge a book by its cover,’_ Baekhyun said at once. _‘I mean, look at hyung.’_

_‘You do have a point.’_

This episode was definitely the first time they had to sign extensive documents regarding both safety and privacy protocols. It was very odd seeing the seal of approval from a military ranking official to allow them to film a supernatural episode on their grounds.

‘Do we salute?’ Baekhyun asks, swiveling to look around at Minseok, ‘Hyung, what’s the correct way to salute?’

‘We don’t have to salute,’ Jongdae laughs.

‘It feels wrong not to,’ Baekhyun argues.

The jeep rumbles to a stop and waving rather shyly from inside the jeep the two trainers step out and instantly, both Jongdae and Baekhyun take a step back.

They’re quite tall and very well built. They’re in uniform, or at least most of it: Hyunwoo, the elder of the two, had his jacket on but it was unbuttoned. Wonho on the other hand was only in a muscle-tee despite the cold. They’re both wearing thick canvas pants with quite an excess of pockets to the side, tucked into high and heavy looking combat boots.

‘An aesthetic I could never hope to achieve,’ Baekhyun sighs mournfully.

‘Um- wow-‘ Jongdae manages to say before Baekhyun greets them brightly.

‘Hello! It’s so nice too meet you both in person!’

They greet each other for a while, getting over some initial awkwardness that both Baekhyun and Jongdae knew how to easily handle. Minseok is immensely proud of the two for always prioritizing the comfort of their guests for the episode. Even if Jongdae was a skeptic, he never treated anyone involved with indifference or mockery and was always polite and attentive. Baekhyun never pushed for angles for a more sensationalized retelling of stories and despite his own nervousness with stories, never made people nervous or anxious in turn.

‘So we’ll start first with the history, stories, and sightings and or witnesses,’ Baekhyun revises one more time though they had been exchanging detailed emails and phone calls for the past week or so. ‘Then we go through a tour of the grounds.’

‘And then we do the special bonus, also for your channel,’ Jongdae nods as all four peruse their tablets and or phones. ‘Can I just say, again, please do not expect us to complete _any _of the obstacle courses.’

Hyunwoo and Wonho both laugh, reassuring them that it was okay.

‘It’s not about completing the course,’ Hyunwoo smiles warmly, ‘It’s the effort, and the willingness to do something you’ve never done before.’

‘New experiences,’ Wonho adds with a nod, ‘No matter how small or seemingly insignificant, will always somehow show you a new perspective.’

‘Oh I don’t need a new perspective to know I lack upper-body strength,’ Baekhyun replies seriously.

The main reason they were here early was also because when Hyunwoo and Wonho had first contacted them, it was a sort of double-collaboration. Unsolved would come to check out the sightings here, and they would also do an obstacle course as part of a challenge for their YouTube channel. Both Jongdae and Baekhyun thought this would be an excellent start at a new season.

Both Hyunwoo and Wonho frequently invited YouTubers and other social media influencers to give the obstacle courses a go and it made for really good, sometimes comedic, sometimes downright hysterical videos. A few famous athletes had even come to participate.

They decide to conduct the first interview to explain the story from a point in the main building that overlooked the training grounds below so Hyunwoo guides them inside the mainly empty building to access the observation deck towards the back.

Minseok does not sense anything out of the ordinary here, but this building was situated up and above the main zone of multiple sightings according to the duo. They had already set up for the interview, with 4 chairs set up outside, and even some lighting equipment.

‘We set this up last night after the rain,’ Hyunwoo explains, ‘We assumed the lighting inside wouldn’t be very good with the clouds and all.’

They set up 3 cameras, one to capture all 4, one to Minseok’s right to capture only Baekhyun and Jongdae, and to his left, focused on Hyunwoo and Wonho. Minseok gives them the green-light after adjusting the ISO on all 3 cameras.

‘Hey guys and welcome back to Unsolved!’ Baekhyun throws his hands up above him with a cheer. ‘Third season!’

‘And to kick things off we are here at the Fifth Division Training Grounds to investigate some truly odd apparitions spotted all over the grounds ever since the Grounds were established!’ Jongdae adds.

‘That’s right!’ Baekhyun seamlessly adds, ‘We’re starting the season with ghostly apparitions, voices, following footsteps, moved belongings, and an actual FULL BODY APPARITION!’

And that was one thing.

Hyunwoo had sent them the security TV footage of what they said was a full body apparition, something that was the driving force behind them finally approaching their channel. And Baekhyun was practically salivating ever since.

The footage is shockingly clear and of good quality. Which instantly made Jongdae suspicious. But Minseok, for the life of him, cannot make out whether the footage actually depicts an FBA, or if it’s some very enthusiastic and very _fast _soldier-in-training making rounds in the grounds. The footage lasts for about 10 seconds, the same FBA reappearing several times in different spots. It’s clearly a man-shaped human form. The only clear and distinguishable detail is that the FBA is wearing pants and a white shirt, possibly a cap. Minseok has heard about this apparition before- though it’s highly likely that there’s no correlation seeing as it’s, honestly, a pretty standard and basic supernatural sighting. Kinda like how Jongdae had mentioned the “school janitor” ghost the other time.

And Hyunwoo did say that they initially thought it was just an extremely enthusiastic trainee who wanted to get in more reps or start their training super early. The headlamps situated around the grounds are bright, but during the night, on camera, didn’t really capture too much detail. The only reason why they were alarmed during a closer inspection was _how fast _the FBA was.

‘So, to our guests! Please introduce yourselves!’ Jongdae gestures to the two.

‘Hi, I’m uh, Hyunwoo,’ he smiles, and Minseok can _hear _how the comment section is going to go crazy over him. ‘I’m one of the trainers here at Fifth Division, and-‘

‘-hi!!’ Wonho beams, and Minseok can doubly hear the comment section exploding. ‘I’m Wonho! I’m a trainer as well.’

‘So, tell us a little about this place,’ Baekhyun asks, crossing his legs and leaning in eagerly, despite knowing the full story.

‘The Fifth Division training grounds is quite new!’ Hyunwoo explains, ‘We’ve been here just a little over a decade. Past the grounds is the edge of a conservation park- where we used to once have military training camps- wilderness training, things like that.’

‘We’ve been here for about 3 years now,’ Wonho continues, ‘And even before we joined, of course there were stories. There’s always stories- almost a rite of passage in nearly every training ground.’

Minseok smiles to himself.

‘We never took it seriously of course,’ Hyunwoo smiles, ‘But it was fun to listen to.’

‘Did you ever witness anything or feel anything that made you wonder if the rumors and stories had some form of, you know, truth to them?’ Baekhyun asks curiously.

‘Nothing I’ve directly experienced,’ Hyunwoo shakes his head before gesturing to Wonho, ‘But-‘

‘-but I have, yeah.’ Wonho beams at the camera right then.

‘Wait- why are you smiling about that-?’ Baekhyun splutters while Jongdae cuts across, waving one hand at Wonho to continue and one to shut Baekhyun up.

‘Well- I was getting ready for the day,’ Wonho explains with an amused and charming smile, ‘And it was quite early, so the morning fog was quite intense. I thought I’d do a quick morning jog around the grounds before going to the gym. When I was somewhere in the middle of the field, I thought I heard someone running just a little over to my right. I thought, oh maybe it’s hyung, or the other trainers too. So I didn’t really pay attention. I did my loop but the running continued past me, and into the woods.

So that’s when I thought, oh it’s probably Hyunwoo hyung because he likes to jog around the woods. So when I heard him approaching me again, I slowed down and turned to greet him. But the running stopped just some feet from me.’

Baekhyun’s eyes widen comically, smile slipping away.

‘So I called out, but there was no response,’ Wonho explains, he looks very pleased with his story, not quite the reaction someone would have when retelling what could be classified as a supernatural experience. ‘So I walked towards where I thought, at the time, hyung had stopped. But I couldn’t find anyone? That wasn’t the first time it’s happened though- after that, it’s happened a few times again. And each time, I have no idea if it’s just me hearing things.’

‘Yeah, when Wonho told me, I went with him for a run a few times. When I’m there, there’s no running sounds.’ Hyunwoo adds, crossing his arms, muscles bulging out despite his uniform. ‘I asked other trainers, and trainees if they’ve experienced the same thing. A few thought I was trying to spook them, but one of the older trainers has told us that some of his trainees had reported a similar thing. But he had never thought much of it.’

‘And that’s when you decided to check the surveillance footage?’

‘It was more of…we didn’t exactly establish a plan,’ Hyunwoo confesses, ‘Wonho said that if he experienced something like that again, we would go check the surveillance footage to see if someone was maybe playing a trick on him.’

‘Took a few weeks before it happened again,’ Wonho explains, ‘Very early, the sun hadn’t come up yet. And my mystery running mate was there again. This time I didn’t try to engage in conversation- so I just continued on, and when I got back, I told hyung about it.’

‘This was about 2 months ago?’

Hyunwoo nods in affirmation.

‘And that’s when we saw Wonho running out, and right after a while, well-‘ he trails off.

Minseok knows that they’ll cut into the FBA clip here.

Honestly it was slightly disturbing- watching the very human-like form speeding along too fast, seconds after Wonho jogs off through the morning fog.

‘We also have gathered stories from others around the grounds- from the maintenance staff, administration, other fellow trainers of course,’ Hyunwoo adds, ‘And while we’ve never experienced what they have-‘

‘-mainly things like, shadows, strange sounds, things moving from their original position- completely misplaced items,’ Wonho summarizes, ‘We had one of the administration staff-‘

‘Bo-ra noona,’ Hyunwoo supplies, ‘She was getting ready to leave for the weekend, but she had a last minute call. Before the call, she had placed her bag on top of her desk. When she got back after the call, her bag was on top of the cabinet next to the doorway. She thought we were playing pranks on her, because at the time we were in the next room, also getting ready to leave.’

‘I’m guessing it wasn’t any of you?’ Jongdae laughs.

‘Not at all!’ Wonho looks comically indignant, ‘We did say, at the time, maybe some ghost was trying to help her get ready. She didn’t like that joke.’

‘I can see why,’ Baekhyun says somberly.

‘She also once showed up at the grounds because she said she thought she heard me call for her,’ Hyunwoo tells them.

‘She was mad when she realized we hadn’t,’ Wonho chuckles, ‘Nearly castrated hyung.’

Hyunwoo just chuckles, eyes crinkling as though this whole thing was fun comedy.

‘Well!’ Baekhyun manages, clapping once, twice before throwing a fist in the air, ‘Let’s go for a tour!’

Hyunwoo and Wonho take them on the jeep they had come up on and it’s only then Minseok realizes just how further down the grounds were.

‘How many people are in the grounds at it’s highest point of activity?’ Jongdae leans in to yell/ask the two in the front.

‘Anywhere between 1200 to 2000,’ Hyunwoo replies.

‘When did these activities take place? Were there a lot of people at the time?’

‘Actually, not really!’ Wonho turns on his seat to talk to them, ‘Most of these happened during the holiday or weekend. When we knew exactly how many people were here- and no one was unaccounted for when stuff like this happened- at least, for our own experiences!’

‘Guys-‘ Baekhyun pokes his head before Minseok’s camera, expression series, ‘Is it creepier when things like this happen with a lot of people, or when there’s less people? Please tell us!’

‘I think it’s creepier when there’s a lot of people!’ Jongdae pipes in, eyes narrowed as the cold morning air bites at their skin, ‘The concept that you’re not safe in numbers.’

Both Baekhyun and Wonho stare at Jongdae, a strangely horrified expression on their faces whereas Hyunwoo nods in serious agreement.

When they reach the bottom, Minseok senses _nothing. _There’s not a single “off” feeling, no strange lingering darkness, nothing. Minseok also notes that it’s a _very large _stretch of land. Maybe where he stood had absolutely nothing in it, but maybe, if they followed Wonho’s general jogging route, they might pick up on something.

It’s like a massive jungle-gym, but for grown adults training for the military and or other forces.

‘Monkey bars have never looked more threatening,’ Baekhyun points out at the intimidating structures gleaming innocently at them in the early sunrise.

‘Okay, we can start on the tour here, and also show you where you will be lodging for the night,’ Wonho announces as he nimbly jumps out of the jeep without opening the door. Jongdae squints at him before attempting to do the same but Minseok holds him back firmly. He does not need to deal with injuries today- not yet anyways.

‘Which course are we gonna tackle?’ Baekhyun asks hesitantly.

‘That one,’ Hyunwoo smiles down at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun grimaces as he follows Hyunwoo’s direction before looking up at the trainer, ‘I really mean it when I say that I am not at all prepared.’

Hyunwoo just laughs.

Minseok kinda wants to add a slow-mo filter effect every time Hyunwoo smiled. He might do it for fun.

They walk towards a clearing, gravel path beneath them crunching at every step. There’s a rough sort of fencing that separates the main training grounds to the slightly raised area to the side beneath the hillside they just came down from.

‘As we’re still on break, most of the staff and trainees are not here,’ Hyunwoo explains, ‘So we set up the lodgings to accommodate you best, close to the washrooms and kitchen.’

‘We’re also gonna do a cool thing! Never done before!’ Baekhyun turns to Minseok, addressing the camera, ‘We’re gonna set up the area where Wonho normally runs with thermal cameras and motion sensors. So tonight is not going to just end with us in the morning as we normally do.’

‘We thought we would join him for the run but,’ Jongdae sighs out, ‘I can barely touch my toes in the morning.’

Wonho laughs heartily at that.

Yeah, Minseok was definitely going to add filters and slow-mo over them.

‘Is this part of training?’ Baekhyun asks, pointing at a pile of wood logs, where an ax and stump were set up.

‘Oh not really,’ Hyunwoo replies with a shake of his head, ‘It’s more of punishment I guess.’

‘Wow! Cool!’ Baekhyun grins, a spark in his eye visible through the camera lens, ‘Can I try?’

‘Sure,’ Hyunwoo chuckles, gesturing to Baekhyun to take the ax. ‘Have you done this before?’

‘Only in imagination,’ Baekhyun picks up the ax and hefts it over his shoulder.

‘Please do not hurt yourself!’ Wonho says earnestly, standing by as though ready to bodily throw himself in the way of Baekhyun getting hurt.

‘Do it for the vine!’ Jongdae cheers, getting a concerned look from Hyunwoo.

Baekhyun misses wildly the first 4 times, and then hits the log to his surprise, causing him to let go of the ax, making it bounce backwards at him. Baekhyun screams, jumping away, as Jongdae wheezes with laughter.

‘So- that’s how you _don’t _chop wood,’ Jongdae manages to get out as Hyunwoo picks up the ax and sets it back safely onto the mount.

‘So to demonstrate how to do it correctly! Please chop some wood!’ Baekhyun says enthusiastically, recovering rapidly from his shock. ‘To show our viewers the uh, muscular capacities of the very strong and brave people who come to the training ground!’

Minseok is barely able to stop himself from rolling his eyes, hoping Jongdae will at least be a bit less thirsty.

But he’s mistaken.

‘I’ll get the angle from the side!’ Jongdae declares happily, angling his GoPro

Hyunwoo just sort of smiles and nods, and grabs the ax. Wonho stands to the back, very muscular arms crossing over a very muscular chest, smiling at Baekhyun and Jongdae’s antics.

And Minseok is 100% sure that Hyunwoo had no intention of _breaking _the ax when he chopped the piece of wood, embedding the metal of the ax deep into the balancing stump. He’s just so grateful that he was able to capture Baekhyun and Jongdae’s facial expression in 4K. It would be fun to replay in slow-mo later.

‘Oh- that’s going to be taken out of my salary,’ Hyunwoo says with comic seriousness.

After a quick tour and setting up markers about the very spacious grounds, Minseok comes to 2 (two) conclusions:

  1. This place was not haunted or in any way or form inclined to be so.
  2. Neither Baekhyun nor Jongdae were going to be able to complete any of these training courses.

It’s almost afternoon now and the sun is out and it’s warmer than before. The air smells clean and light, a sweet fragrance of greenery wafts at them occasionally from the woods and hills around them. They help Hyunwoo and Wonho set up for their own recording for their channel as well- and it’s incredibly relaxing and fun somehow. After a delicious and simple meal, they follow the trainers out to film their segment.

It’s such a change in pace- and the physical challenges are so drastically different from what Minseok normally does or is exposed to, he feels somehow refreshed and renewed despite the physical tiredness. But it’s a good kind of tired, Minseok thinks to himself- he exerted himself, and as a result, he was tired. He could treat this sort of fatigue, the muscle cramps, the sore shoulders- these were things he could handle and take care of. It was a good change in pace.

Because Minseok had been worried, considering what happened last time; it hadn’t been more than 2 weeks since the hostel. And while neither Baekhyun nor Jongdae were displaying any signs of fatigue or drain from such an intense exposure, Minseok himself was still somewhat recovering.

It took a while for his bruises to fade- hand prints on his shoulders and arms; he’d been worried about repercussions to himself. The hostel was certainly more than what Minseok would have normally been able to handle – and he’s still not sure how he was able to do what he did. It all felt like some extremely detailed and realistic nightmare. At random points of time, Minseok would suddenly be seized by some strange fear that something might have followed him from the hostel, but he’s quick to shake off the near-hysterical aftershocks of the hostel. He wonders if it had any significance, but after speaking to his aunt, as well as Kyungsoo, Minseok decided to just take it easy. He no longer had those panic-stricken moments of irrational fear, and Minseok can feel the drain of the hostel slowly leaving him.

And being out here was somewhat of a relief.

Minseok doesn’t want to say it, but being exposed like that in the hostel almost made his senses even more heightened- to the point where he wasn’t sure if he was just being extra jumpy, or what he was sensing was real. His aunt told him to take a break, to get away from the overwhelming rush of the city for a bit. And Minseok has tried though all he wants to do is stew in his clean and organized apartment where it was safe.

‘Hyung?’

Minseok blinks out of his stupor, a bit surprised by how deeply he’d fallen into his own thoughts.

‘Hey,’ Baekhyun smiles at him, holding up his mic, ‘You okay?’

‘Yeah I’m fine,’ Minseok replies with a smile.

‘You sure? You look tired these days,’ Baekhyun asks worriedly.

‘Thesis,’ Minseok rolls his eyes. And it’s kinda true too. ‘You’ll have it next year.’

Baekhyun snorts, turning around so that Minseok can help him re-attach it.

‘You doing okay? That obstacle course was terrible,’ Minseok asks the younger in turn.

‘Hyung, you can’t say that when you completely destroyed it,’ Baekhyun whines, ‘I’m already sore! And Jongdae is still asleep!’

Minseok laughs.

‘Well, it’s a good thing we’re gonna rest up before tonight’s shoot,’ Minseok taps his shoulder to let him know he’s all set.

‘I’m gonna sleep for 5 days after this,’ Baekhyun says wistfully, rolling his shoulders with a slight wince, ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to stand.’

They finish setting up their gear around the grounds, which is easier than most places as Hyunwoo and Wonho already know the best places to get the best shots of the grounds. That, and the obstacle courses provided plenty of great places to mount and stabilize their cameras and sensors.

The sun is setting when they head back up to the main building, where some of the staff were still working despite the holidays, and where they would be having their dinner before heading back downwards to film after dark.

The remaining staff are all nice people, not at all perturbed by what they were doing, having been notified in advance by the two trainers. The woman, Bo-ra, is there to tell them in person what happened to her and her bag, as well as about what happened when she heard Hyunwoo call for her.

‘I swear!’ she exclaims, pointing with her chopsticks at Hyunwoo, ‘I heard him yell ‘Bo-ra noona!’ and I was so pissed- we have phones for a reason!’

After a wonderfully filling meal they say their goodbyes and Hyunwoo and Wonho drive them back down.

‘If there’s any trouble, we’ll be up there,’ Hyunwoo reminds them again.

‘And! To assure you guys at home, we’ve also set up a camera at the main building, that has only _one _entry point, so that way you know that there is no foul play anywhere.’ Jongdae points at his camera.

‘Yes!’ Hyunwoo says sincerely, ‘It was our suggestion too! I hope everyone will take whatever has been witnessed here seriously- this is not a rouse or attempt for anything!’

Even with the night vision view, Hyunwoo’s sincerity and genuine expression is very apparent. Wonho behind him claps his hands together in a sort of pleading gesture, eyes sparkling.

Oh, Minseok is going to abuse the slow-mo effect.

They wave goodbye to the two, small clouds of dust trailing after them.

Jongdae continues to wave while Baekhyun looks around and with a heavy sigh says, ‘Well, we’re fucked.’

‘Hey, you know what this place reminds me of?’ Jongdae asks as he addresses Baekhyun.

‘What?’

‘The Greenhouse. We were mostly outdoors for that one.’

‘Please, why would you bring that up,’ Baekhyun wails as they slowly make their way down. ‘God, this whole place looks even more ominous now that it’s dark.’

‘Jongdae, your mic is hitting your collar,’ Minseok alerts Jongdae, adjusting his headphones under his beanie properly. After making a few adjustments here and there, they set out to explore the place in the dark of the night.

‘You know,’ Jongdae remarks as they duck under one of the large wooden logs that Baekhyun had only that afternoon miserably failed at overcoming. ‘I don’t know if you guys noticed but-‘

‘-oh god please don’t-‘ Baekhyun whimpers, stepping closer to Minseok instantly.

‘-there’s a pretty soft but kinda clear echo behind us.’ Jongdae pauses, holding his hand up for them to stop walking, ‘Hear that?’

It’s faint but they hear it. Baekhyun looks like he’s about to cry, his handheld GoPro shaking with both the cold and fright.

‘I think it’s the place,’ Jongdae states factually, crossing his arms, looking about with interest. ‘This is a pretty small valley, we have hills, and we have trees everywhere- and then the sound just has upwards to go into. Maybe we’re just hearing loads of echoes. Especially if it’s just a singular isolated sound like jogging sounds? Early in the morning without any extra sounds?’

Baekhyun stops looking too frightened and he nods slowly, looking about. ‘Should we try?’

‘You mean scream something in hopes of getting some form of echo?’ Jongdae asks with a grin.

They spend a few minutes randomly yelling.

‘We could try over there-?’ Baekhyun points to where Hyunwoo had told them many of the young trainees claim to have heard movement around them, seen moving figures and such.

At certain angles they’re able to get clear echoes, which admittedly, if heard when unexpected, really did sound like strange muffled movements from people unseen.

‘Wow…did we just potentially…solve? Something? On Unsolved?’ Baekhyun’s eyes widen, staring at his camera.

‘…do we have to change our name now?’ Jongdae asks worriedly.

‘Pretty sure we’re okay,’ Minseok laughs, voice slightly muffled through his scarf.

Minseok feels a sense of relaxation- like he’s oozing out whatever was holding up in him in this misty dark night. He think it’s a funny contrast considering that he’s so relaxed here whereas Baekhyun is close to crying. Especially when they decide to do single walks down the length of the grounds. Jongdae is the first to go as usual, his loud voice yelling invites for ghosts to come to him.

‘HEY!’ he yells, small light of his GoPro screen blinking at them through the mist, ‘EXERCISING GHOSTS! COME GET ME I’M UNFIT AND SORE!’

‘I hate him so much,’ Baekhyun wails, crouching down on to the ground with a wince, ‘Oh god my thighs.’

Jongdae comes back, looking pleased with himself.

‘I warmed up the ghosties for you,’ Jongdae tells Baekhyun, ‘Remember what Hyunwoo said about warming up.’

‘Have I mentioned that you’re a menace to society?’

‘Yes,’ Jongdae beams before waving goodbye at his best friend.

Minseok aims the camera at Baekhyun for as long as possible before he fades into the mist.

‘I think I remember something about stories about seeing ghosts at sea,’ Jongdae remarks out of nowhere, ‘I know that there’s something about the fog, and light refraction- it could possibly explain why people think they see moving figures- shadows and lights.’

Minseok thinks it’s a good practical reason for what they saw in the supposed FBA footage. It made sense; the whole area had massive headlamps, and through the mist, depending on the direction, shadows could pull and stretch and form oddly. Maybe while Wonho had been running, his shadow was quite literally following him.

‘Hey…’ Jongdae suddenly perks up, squinting into the distance. ‘Is…is Baekhyun _singing?’_

They both pause to listen and sure enough, Baekhyun is _singing_.

‘…is that Sunflower?’ Jongdae asks incredulously.

And it most definitely is.

Suddenly, Jongdae inhales deeply and starts yell/singing the next parts.

Baekhyun continues to sing, messing up Post Malone’s parts. What’s funny is how both Baekhyun and Jongdae sing the wrong lyrics with the exact same confidence. Jongdae starts doing a funny dance when Baekhyun gets closer, and they’re both doing the exact same moves, now singing in comedic earnestness to each other.

Minseok makes sure to capture the whole thing as cinematically as possible.

‘Well!’ Baekhyun beams at them, ‘That was fun.’

‘Okay guys,’ Jongdae faces the camera, ‘We’re gonna now head back in – and then Wonho’s gonna come down in the morning for his run! We’ll see you then!’

They quietly make their way into the lodgings and Baekhyun insists on the whole buddy rule even till now. So he goes with Baekhyun to the washrooms outside where they splutter as they brush their teeth and wash up. When they get back, Jongdae’s playing music in the background quietly. He’s also waiting for them apparently.

‘Oh, hyung, I think I forgot to switch on one of the cameras,’ Jongdae says hurriedly and apologetically.

‘No it’s okay, I got it,’ Minseok shakes his head, gesturing to Jongdae to stay inside in the warmth. ‘Rest- you’re both sore, I got it.’

‘But hyung! Buddy system!’ Baekhyun argues.

Minseok laughs, ruffling Baekhyun’s hair, ‘Is it the one by the second obstacle course?’

‘Yeah, how’d you know?’ Jongdae asks in awe.

‘I thought I didn’t see the camera blinking,’ Minseok explains, ‘It’s okay Dae, I’ll go get it. It’s nice out, wanna stroll a bit.’

‘You sure?’

‘I got it,’ Minseok says reassuringly.

It’s not that far from the lodgings, and Minseok wants to just savour how relaxed it was here. He walks slowly, enjoying the sound of the crunching gravel. Weirdly it’s probably really fun running over the gravel here, Minseok thinks. Maybe he might go for a run too in the morning? His shoes weren’t the best, but they would do.

He easily finds the camera and switches it on. Breathing warmth into his hands, Minseok makes his way back slowly, keeping an eye out for the small blinks of their installed cameras around the place.

He’s halfway to the lodges when he hears something.

At first Minseok almost doesn’t hear it. He’d been incredibly relaxed, no secondary sense acting up trying to pick up on things around him. He was completely at ease- completely defenseless and completely exposed.

His whole body seizes- almost as though he was too cold to move. His fingers seize into place, hands hurting as though clenched by some ice-like metal, legs locked, shoulders beyond stiff.

He can’t breathe- fear crushes down on him.

The gravel under his feet seem to shift- a liquid darkness pooling around him, seeping _out of him _and around him. But it’s not relieving- it’s instead crushing.

Head moving slowly and painfully, Minseok manages to look up just a little, his body shaking without his control.

Looming too tall is a strange figure- Minseok can’t sense it, he’s only _seeing it_-

It’s watching Minseok, not doing anything, just _watching. _

Just watching and somehow _connected to Minseok_.

‘Who- who are you-?’ Minseok barely manages to get out, teeth chattering violently, body shaking with a violent burst of cold though he’s sweating profusely.

The dark form swamped in the mist doesn’t respond- it only watches and Minseok has never felt fear like this.

This _thing _was attached to him- it was trailing _from him_\- Minseok doesn’t understand how or why.

‘I don’t- I don’t know you,’ he manages to get out again, ‘-why are you here?’

It suddenly crouches down from its immense height, and it’s suddenly too close-

‘_Just…………………………………………..watching…………………………………just……………………………………….waiting.’_

Minseok finds himself at the partially open doorway, Baekhyun and Jongdae’s voices filtering in and out, music seeping out into the cold.

‘Oh hyung, you’re back already?’ Jongdae pulls the door open and Minseok walks in easily, no problem. ‘All the cameras okay?’

‘Yeah,’ Minseok replies without a hitch, smiling easily as he removes his beanie, ‘Don’t forget next time.’

‘I won’t!’ Jongdae promises solemnly.

The bunks are comfy and the blankets warm. Baekhyun and Jongdae talk for a bit, Minseok joins in occasionally.

‘Do you think one of us could keep up with Wonho for a POV run?’ Baekhyun asks.

‘Do not rope me into your thirsty attempts,’ Minseok says wryly, turning over to his side, pulling the blankets around him securely.

‘Hyung, you wound me!’ Baekhyun exclaims followed by a yawn.

‘Goodnight,’ Jongdae calls sleepily.

‘Night,’ Minseok replies back, turning to his side.

In the darkness before him, pillowed close to his head, a pair of eyes continue to watch him.

‘Sweet dreams!’

Minseok can’t sleep.

*

**Bonus footage!**

‘So hey guys,’ Baekhyun starts off as Jongdae warms up to the side, doing some star-jacks with a deadly serious face. ‘We decided that we would give the infamous military obstacle course a go ourselves.’

‘Because if supposed ghosts can do this! So can we!’ Jongdae yells.

‘And to motivate us! We’re gonna first watch Wonho do the obstacle course! But this is also a moment for a plug-in!’

Minseok turns to the camera to Wonho and Hyunwoo who, though they were expecting it, are completely flustered and a little shy.

‘Uh- so yeah, we also have a YouTube channel-‘

‘-links in the description box below!’ Jongdae yells again, now squatting and lunging.

‘-we do fitness, healthy eating, especially for body builders,’ Hyunwoo explains.

‘We also have beginners programs for those who want to try, but are nervous in trying the heavier and more intense programs,’ Wonho chimes in, with a thumb’s up, biceps bulging.

‘So guys! Please do check them out as well!’ Baekhyun walks over, unnecessarily slapping Wonho on the arm, right over his bulging bicep.

‘All right, so let’s watch Wonho first!’ Jongdae huffs as he jogs towards them, already working up a sweat on his forehead.

‘Okay, just to make sure we’re safe, Wonho will run through the course slowly to demonstrate each obstacle and how to do it,’ Hyunwoo explains. ‘We can follow him and you can see how it’s done.’

‘We are ready!’ Jongdae raises a fist up enthusiastically.

‘Great let’s go!’

‘Ready?’ Wonho asks Minseok, as he’s supposed to keep up with him at the side, following his actions.

‘I’m good!’ Minseok nods, giving him a thumb’s up.

‘Okay!’ Hyunwoo claps, ‘Let’s start.’

Wonho does a few high knees and stretches where he stands amidst Baekhyun and Jongdae’s enthusiastic cheering. He looks almost embarrassed but purposefully flexes.

Minseok’s going to abuse the slow-mo effect for sure.

‘All right, we’re gonna start by running up to this low fence,’ Hyunwoo explains.

Minseok keeps up with a slow jog.

‘We’re gonna bunny hop over this- like so-‘ Wonho easily vaults over the low wooden log fence. ‘Then we come up to the bars here- now you’re going to have to be careful because it can be kinda slippery-‘ Wonho lightly and easily jumps up, catching the pole and pulls himself up. ‘-this is called the college boy roll- you basically roll over the pole and then swing back down- just like that. Good going!’ Wonho beams at Hyunwoo and at the camera.

‘Now we come up here, we have a series of bunny-hops, over some slightly higher fences.’ Hyunwoo describes as Wonho easily vaults over them again. ‘With the highest one- you need to first make sure your torso is over the main fencing, and then you swing one leg up, hug the log, and slide down- it doesn’t need to look good or fancy, just so long as you manage to do it, you’re doing it right.’

Wonho’s arms wrap easily over the log, muscles bulging as he rolls over and slides down gracefully onto the gravel.

‘Now the last one- you need to stand up on it- you need to be careful, it just rained so it’s kinda slippery- then you do a small jump- it’s an easy hold there, and swing your legs up to the bars, then you push yourself up- basically straddle the bars, and slide down.’ Hyunwoo explains.

Wonho executes it perfectly.

‘Then at the end, you stand carefully and walk down the logs- again, be careful- this is about balance, not speed. You can crawl down if you want and-‘

‘-uh-‘ Wonho stops at the high point, legs bracing the log as he twists to look behind him. ‘-…we forgot Baekhyun and Jongdae back there.’

Minseok spins around, camera quickly finding Baekhyun and Jongdae leaning up against the first low fence. Even from this distance, their faces are amusingly despaired.

‘Well-‘ Hyunwoo chuckles.

Jongdae and Baekhyun run over towards them, ducking under the fences.

‘It was very cool,’ Baekhyun says, ‘And we uh- we think we want to just, you know, observe and like- osmosis.’

‘Osmosis?’ Wonho repeats from where he’s still straddling the log.

‘Yeah,’ Jongdae looks up at the other man, ‘You know- sometimes, you gotta uh, just osmosis.’

‘I’ll continue?’ Hyunwoo asks Minseok who looks at his two friends and they both hesitantly nod.

‘All right then- well, Wonho will make his way down the logs- again, balance, not speed here.’ Hyunwoo explains. Minseok follows them easily while Baekhyun and Jongdae pant behind him.

‘Okay, here we gotta build momentum- run up and make sure you get your upper body up- and then you can swing your legs up-‘ Hyunwoo points at the wooden wall. ‘Watch as Wonho uses his legs to boost himself up on the wall-‘

Wonho does not use his legs or feet to climb up the wall, instead he easily pulls himself up the wall.

‘He didn’t use his feet!!’ Baekhyun wails.

‘Well, I do,’ Hyunwoo says and even demonstrates, ‘Here-‘

‘…I did not osmosis any of that,’ Jongdae says in a low voice.

Both Wonho and Hyunwoo jump down lightly over to the other side.

‘All right- now we have low fences- we’re gonna do the bunny hops again, and it’s lower than before, so don’t stress it too much-‘ Hyunwoo runs up to the 3 fences.

‘-I actually have the most issue here!’ Wonho tells them, jogging towards the fences. ‘It’s hard to wrap around-‘

‘-it’s his pecs,’ Baekhyun whispers loudly.

But Wonho, despite his pecs, does get over the three low fences and they reach the end.

‘Now this is the last obstacle,’ Hyunwoo gestures to the high pole with thick rope dangling down. ‘We’re gonna climb up this and what’s most important is not your arm strength- it’s your leg placement. Now watch as Wonho hooks one leg over- uses his own feet as a boost, and stretching up, basically inches up with the rest of his body. See that? Good form! Now we touch the metal on top, and then slide down- carefully! We don’t want rope burn that’s definitely a thing that can happen!’

Wonho taps the metal on the top and easily slides down, landing lightly.

‘So!’ Wonho turns to smile at Baekhyun and Jongdae, both of them already sweating, ‘You guys ready?’

*

‘You’re doing well- keep a consistent pace,’ Hyunwoo reassures from the sidelines. ‘Consistency is key- pushing yourself only worsens your performance! Learn your limits, understand what your body is saying-‘

Baekhyun is stuck on the second higher bunny-hop fence, feet kicking in a way where Minseok knows he’s going to add sound effects.

‘-what if my body is crying?’ he whimpers out.

Hyunwoo kindly ducks over and grabbing Baekhyun by the back of his shirt, easily hefts him over. The puppy comparison is incredibly strong.

‘Thank you!’ Baekhyun gasps out.

Jongdae on the other hand is one fence behind, horror in his eyes, unable to swing his legs over.

‘You wanna step on me and get over it?’ Baekhyun offers, panting heavily.

‘You’d do that?’ Jongdae asks, gratitude in his eyes.

‘He’d do that?’ Hyunwoo looks at them worryingly.

‘It’s okay,’ Minseok reassures him, ‘It’s just how they are.’

They’re doing pretty okay until they reach the metal bars they need to slide down on.

‘I don’t have enough muscle on my thighs!’ Jongdae squeaks, ‘this hurts!’

‘Can- can I crawl down?’ Baekhyun whimpers, hugging the log he was supposed to walk down.

‘You can!’ Hyunwoo says encouragingly. ‘You got this Baekhyun!’

Baekhyun gives him a shaky thumb’s up before proceeding to crawl over.

'Please encourage me too!' Jongdae groans.

'You're doing great Jongdae-hyung!' Wonho cheers.

Jongdae nearly cries.

At the wooden wall, they both squat down to give each other a boost up and pull each other over, helped by a smiling Wonho who easily hefts Jongdae over the wall without any visible stress.

‘Oh wow, I don’t know if your shoulders or this wall is harder,’ Jongdae pants, hair damp from sweat.

They both somewhat manage to get through to the end, but both of them stop before the ropes, shaking their heads.

‘We need to get fitter,’ Baekhyun wheezes, eyes closed as he sways in an alarming way before maintaining his balance. ‘Oh god, we are so out of shape.’

‘It’s a rough route,’ Wonho tells them reassuringly, not breaking sweat, ‘This is not easy even for us!’

Baekhyun just sort of groans as Jongdae wails, ‘I can’t even hold this rope! Why is this rope so thick?!’

Minseok makes sure to catch the contrast of Hyunwoo and Wonho compared to Baekhyun and Jongdae. Wonho soothingly pats him on the back.

‘Hyung- you should do it too-‘ Baekhyun heaves from the wooden pole where he was balancing himself, skin pale from exertion.

‘Would you like to give it a go?’ Hyunwoo asks, hanging Baekhyun a cool bottle of water. Baekhyun has tears in his eyes as he accepts the bottle- either they were tears or plain sweat. Either way, it’s hilarious.

‘Hyung please do it, otherwise we’re gonna have a disgraceful reputation,’ Jongdae wheezes as Wonho helps him stretch out his cramped leg.

‘Well,’ Minseok looks up at the thick rope and back towards the front of the course. ‘I guess I should save face.’

*

Why Are All The B-Sides Bops?: _Excuse me but did Minseok just clear that training field 9 seconds behind one of the trainers record?! Omg Chloe Ting programs truly work_

Why Are Starbucks so Fucking Cold All The Time: _why is no one talking about how good they sound singing sunflower I need baekchen to actually sit down and seriously sing?????????? They weren’t even trying????_

Professional Procrastinator 3000: _Hi just wanted to say if Hyunwoo and Wonho were there to encourage me the same way they were encrouaging baekchen in this episode I would be the BUFFEST™ person in the universe no lie- I’d destroy myself to see Hyunwoo smile at me like that irl_

DrinkThatWaterBtich: _Guys ive been following Hyunwoo and Wonho’s channel for a while now and well- you’re not gonna survive their content if you think this episode even remotely displayed how ripped they are, and even more so, how incredibly nice and sweet they are- bonus, they have other equally fit friends come and join their videos._

Mareete: _I thought I recognized them, it just hit me- they’re the ones who went viral for eating fried chieken with nutella _

Any_for_us: _@Mareete They ate what and what together?!_

minghaoFrogagenda_: I want to thank whoever thought of putting slow-mo filter over Hyunwoo and Wonho. My bet is that it’s Baekhyun._

Baguette Au Pain_: Watching BaekChen’s souls slowly escaping their bodies as they ran the course was funny at first then I realized I would never be able to get over the first bunny hop_

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _I’ve always said Baekhyun is FOR the people- point proven when he asked Hyunwoo to chop that wood, we all know there was absolutely no need for them to do that but Baekhyun saw to it that we witnessed that magnificent display of muscular capacities _

Where there is a will, there is an iam: _I love how the comments have nothing to do with the ghosts in this episode but everything to do with Hyunwoo and wonhos muscles_

Bocchann: _I think Jongdae was definitely on to something when he was talking about acoustics and how sound might bounce about. I grew up in a farming area, not unlike that area, and sound does tend to travel oddly!_

DaeDroid: _Okay I know this episode just showed us an FBA but I can’t help but be distracted by the multitude of slow-mo, this is exactly the content I need during this cursed year, thank you guys for releasing this!!!_

167 is Average Height: _hey, did anyone else notice a pair of eyes over Minseok’s head while baekchen were singing in the dark? It was like, there for a split second I think, but it was kinda really high up, could’ve just been lights from somewhere, maybe a car, but it was spooky_

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _dilfs_

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Notes)  
This is directly inspired by [ Unus Annus’s video ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7TY4h2u-Ps)where James Charles is a guest and they go tackle a military boot camp regime it’s pure comedy  
please watch for a good laugh if you want! i know most people dont like james charles but this was hilarious  
I just thought it'd be funny to have monsta x and cbx in a situation like this hehehehehe
> 
> I also love sistar’s relationship with monsta-x (when they weren’t disbanded) and bora and Hyunwoo were practicing for something and she yelled at him to be more sexy and fake kicked at him and her slipper flew off and hit him right in the DICK IT WAS SO FUNNY LMAO  
But yeah, shownu and Wonho being trainers was just- I thought perfect  
Also I know that Wonho’s real name is Hoseok, bt he’s said many times he likes being addressed and refered to as Wonho so that’s exactly what I will do!   
Stream Losing You!!!!!!!!!!  
Let’s support this precious boy with his upcoming album!!!!!


	20. Unsolved Vlogs Season Break Update: The Fellowship of the Zoom

_[All proceeds of the ad revenue from this episode will be going directly to local organizations that provide aid and support for the elderly]_

‘HELLO!!!!!!!’

‘HEEEEEEEEEEELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!’

‘…’

‘…’

‘Minseok-hyung, are you okay.’

‘No.’

‘Well! Guys, we are here today for a super massive amazing episode!!’

‘This may come as a surprise because while we normally do give a teaser as to what we’re gonna be having up next, we wanted this to be a super surprise!’

‘You are now about to venture out into a super cool!’

‘Super amazing!’

‘Super fun!’

‘Super fantastic!’

‘Super incredible!’

‘Super super!’

‘…that was weak.’

‘I ran out of adjectives also I’m being laughed at.

Please, guys, don’t laugh at me, you need to stay quiet!’

‘Anyways! For anyone who has never watched our videos or content, hi! I’m Jongdae!’

‘And I’m Baekhyun!’

‘We are the co-founders and hosts of the Unsolved Vlogs where we go and well, try to prove ghosts are real I suppose.’

‘You’re the worst salesman, what a terrible pitch.

We are Unsolved Vlogs and we upload videos where we go to strange, creepy, most definitely haunted places where the stories and sightings and mysteries are unsolved!’

‘Mysteries are unsolved? Really?’

‘And it’s not just the two of us in this team! Hyung!’

‘Hi! I’m Minseok, I’m the cameraman, sound guy, and I guess, everything else in between?’

‘He really is! Minseok-hyung is the literal backbone of this operation guys, he’s the best!’

‘Round of applause for Minseok-hyung!’

_[insert applause track]_

‘So, todays’ super amazing video is!’

‘The Most Epic Recap Episode!’

‘From the last season! So we’re gonna go through, as best as we can, through every episode from the last season, and throw in any additional stories or anecdotes we didn’t mention or put into the episode!’

‘And we’re diving straight into it! And to help us with the first episode of Season 1, we’re gonna ask Minseok-hyung some questions, and maybe he’ll tell us some stuff about how it was for him!’

‘Yay! Are you excited hyung?’

_[gestures brightly, hands up in the air]_

‘You’re so cute!’

‘And yes, if you’re wondering, we most definitely Minseok-hyung-starved right now. We miss him and his hugs!’

‘Here, internet hug.’

_[Minseok extends his arms open]_

_[WARNING FOR EARPHONE USERS!]_

_[Forgive Baekhyun and Jongdae’s bat-level screeching]_

‘Okay! So episode 1 was a special!’

‘Yes, the “Asylum Poltergeist”!

Honestly, what a great way to start the season, I gotta say.’

‘It truly was! I must reinforce this again but I REALLY hate asylums.’

‘I really don’t recommend it either!

But it was also the first episode with Minseok-hyung. Hyung, how was it for you?’

‘It was the first time I experienced something like that.

I was mostly worried, about well, asylums, especially like the one we went to, which are abandoned like that, can be dangerous.

The architectural soundness, mold and fungi, rabid animals making the place their den- I was mostly worried about those kind of things.

But I think once I was able to not think about those, I was able to somewhat really enjoy the whole thing I guess?’

‘Yay! Even when Baekhyun was screaming most of the time?’

‘I was _not _screaming the whole time-‘

‘-we literally have evidence-‘

‘-yes, I enjoyed it, I was able to experience something new with you guys!’

_[once again, sorry earphone users]_

‘We’re also trying our best to have updates about where we’ve been- so that we know how things are going, especially in places where we visited people’s workplaces and the likes.’

‘The Asylum is still there, but from what we were told, the whole building and area will be razed soon!’

‘Yeah, we’re not sure what it will be transformed into, but that is a good piece of land- and rather than having something that evidently held such terrible memories and connections to mistreatment, I think it’s best to remove it, and in it’s place, build something for good.’

‘Agreed!’

_[nodding]_

‘I would definitely rank the Asylum with a solid 9/10 for spookiness, fright, ambience, and how many nightmares I had about the place for next week or so!’

‘I would say a solid 8 for me-‘

‘-wow that’s quite high-‘

‘-asylums are not good places. Regardless of whether or not it’s haunted, or if ghosts are real and are living there all of that- these are terrible places that normally had terrible things going on in them- so for me, in many ways, it was terrifying.’

‘I agree with Dae.’

‘Well, if that’s the case, I’m giving it a 10 out of 10!

And with that-!’

‘Are we ranking the episodes?’

‘Yes! Hyung, what’s your rank?’

‘8.5?’

‘Ah, ever a diplomat!’

‘It was also my first episode, so it’s a meaningful one for me!’

‘All right- and so moving on to Episode 2!

The House Visit!’

‘Yes! Where we met up with Good Guy ™ who you would most definitely take back to your parents and you would be guaranteed approval – Kim Junmyeon!’

‘A brief recap- Junmyeon-hyung’s childhood home has it’s own legendary ghost story that’s apparently well known in the neighbourhood!’

‘Please think strange childhood imaginary friends, physical apparitions, baby-sitters who never stayed more than a week, and other creepy stuff where we catch a door that was definitely locked shut open all by itself in the middle of the night while we were sleeping!’

‘Again, exothermic reactions of heat-‘

‘-hyung! Did you like that episode?’

‘It was a clean place to stay overnight.’

‘…well, I mean I guess you’re right-‘

‘I really enjoyed filming that episode- it somehow felt a lot more personal, because we know Junmyeon-hyung, and it was so interesting seeing his childhood home!’

‘You know who I think could give us some really good info on how things are going?’

‘I don’t know Baekhyun, who?’

‘JUNMYEON-HYUNG!’

‘WOO! Welcome hyung!’

(------------------------------------)

‘…’

‘…’

‘…’

‘…what?’

‘-uh hyung-‘

‘Junmyeon-ah, you’re on mute.’

‘Hyung you’re on mute-‘

‘HYUNG YOU’RE ON MUTE-!’

_[please forgive this short delay]_

(‘Ah! Hey guys!’)

‘Junmyeon-hyung! Long time no see! Well, for our viewers anyways. Please say hi!’

(‘Hey, um- well, I’m Junmyeon, it’s good to be back?’)

‘Why did that sound like a question?’

(‘Well-‘)

‘So! What news do you have to give us about your childhood home?’

(‘Ah, we sold the property to some developers. They’ve transformed the land and completely landscaped the whole place so now it’s studio-apartment unit.’)

‘And here are some before and after photos!’

_[Before and After Photos!!!]_

‘Tell us hyung, did you get any questions about the place? Like, friends or people contacting you about the place?’

(‘Oh actually- haha, my crush contacted me and-‘)

‘OH MY GOD DID WE REUNITE YOU BOTH AND NOW YOU’RE ENGAGED AND GOING TO GET MARRIED?’

(‘She’s already engaged to be married.’)

‘…ah- uh, I’m sorry.’

‘…’

‘…’

‘So! What did she say?’

(‘She said she was surprised when her friend showed her the video!

And that she watched it and enjoyed it very much! I think she might be a fan now.’)

‘Thank you Junmyeon’s now engaged to be married crush!’

‘-you’re missing out on a top quality A plus man-!’

‘-and what else did she say?’

(‘Well, I asked her about how it was when she lived there- now that we’re both adults, perception and memory changes.’)

‘That’s true.’

(‘She told me that she still believes that the land is haunted- maybe it’s not as terrifying or immediate as it once was. She also told me, after she heard me mention how my mother was only able to conceive after we left the house, how she had asthma the entire time she was living there. After moving out, she got better. She doesn’t even use or need an inhaler anymore.’)

‘I’m getting chills even though I’m far from your house that no longer exist!’

(‘I asked her if she herself ever saw anything.

She said her dad was actually the one who would see things. She told me this one time she had come back from school, her father had come down the stairs and looked at her in absolute shock- and he asked her if she had just come home. She said she did. He scolded her for playing games, because he just saw her in her bedroom and even spoke to her.’)

‘I’m gonna cry soon.’

(‘She said that incident terrified her, and her father told her to stay downstairs by the door while he checked on her room again.

Obviously there was no one there.

It was my old bedroom.’)

‘I’m actually going to cry!’

(‘Well, other than that- sometimes they’d hear movement, like someone was upstairs while they were downstairs, or someone was downstairs, while they were upstairs. She never saw anything by herself- but she never felt good, and would always be extremely fatigued. She wrote it off as being a teenager- at least that’s what her parents told her then.

Her best friend actually saw someone inside the house- she said she never wanted to hang out at her house after that.’)

‘Oh? Tell us about that one!’

(‘Her friend had come over after school to just hang out- and they were outside in the garden walking inside. The garden area has a tap, and it gets leaky sometimes so she went to close it shut. Her friend started screaming out of nowhere for her to be careful. But there was nothing around. So she went to check on her, completely spooked. But her best friend said there was a tall man bending from around the tree, trying to grab her when her back was turned.’)

‘Oh, I know this is old and it’s not, like that anymore, but oh I hate it so much, Junmyeon-hyung I hate it so much!’

(‘I’m sorry!’)

‘You can’t say that _and _smile!’

‘How have you been hyung?’

(‘Oh, doing all right I guess? I think Minseok-hyung and I are on the same boat- weirdly suspended in anxiety over our thesis now that it’s all been submitted.’)

‘Please, I refuse to hear the word _thesis.’_

(‘Sorry hyung!’)

‘…

Yeah, I get what Baekhyun means.’

‘Okay so that’s all the time we have with Junmyeon-hyung! Thanks for the terrifying story but please stick around! We wanna see more of you!’

‘And now onto episode 3!

The Dancing Spirits!

And Sehun, I will say this once more-‘

{‘Yeah yeah, I know, behave.

Hi hyung, hi Jongdae-hyung, hi Minseok-hyung, hey daddy.’}

(‘*choking sounds*’)

‘I have so many regrets-‘

{‘I’m a blessing.’}

‘I will and kick you out of this zoom call – don’t get us censored or demonetized.’

{‘My episode was not demonetized.’}

‘You mean _our _episode-‘

‘Sehun-ah! How are you? Doing good?’

{‘Yes hyung! It’s sad and frustrating not being able to go to the studio right now, but I am doing what I can at home, and trying my best to live positively.’}

‘That’s good to hear.’

‘That is really good-‘

{‘I mean, a sugar-daddy would certainly help me out I am just a poor university student trying to make it into dance-‘}

_[A SHORT BREAK]_

‘So! How’s everyone that we met last time? Anything new and rated PG you can tell us about?’

{‘Oh yeah, nothing much I guess; we did however get a lot of interest from people! EXODUS really wants to thank you for the free publicity.’}

‘…it wasn’t free-‘

‘Finances aside!’

(‘Oh! I remember you had a dog! How’s Vivi?’)

{‘Oh-…oh I uh- hehe, Vivi is doing well.’}

(‘I’m happy to hear that! I hope Vivi has been able to go on walks and is staying safe with you!’)

{‘Oh- um, yeah, uh-

Yeah, Vivi is kinda lazy anyways, so yeah.

It’s fine.

Great.’}

‘…’

‘…’

‘…

Junmyeon-hyung what the actual fuc-‘

‘-I always knew Junmyeon was a smooth mother fuc-‘

‘So! I also remember you telling us you had some messages from the others! Please do tell us!’

{‘Yeah!

Um- oh yeah, here’s Vivi now-!

Vivi! Say hi! Give paw!’}

‘…’

‘…’

‘…’

{‘…’

‘I knew this would happen.’}

‘So! Back to what you were saying…?’

{‘Oh, you know, the usual, we’re big fans, love the season, blah blah.’}

‘…’

‘…’

{‘Okay, fine.

Ten and Taeyong want me to tell you that while they’re both terrified of every episode, they love it a lot.

Seulgi and Yeri say hi to Minseok-hyung specifically.’}

‘I don’t blame them!’

‘Thank you Sehun! I guess we’ll move on to the next episode summary!’

‘Yes, please, let’s move on.’

‘Now we’re onto one of my most favourite things that we shot! It was the first time we filmed so far out, and stayed overnight as well!’

‘The Greenhouse Hauntings!’

‘And to help us recount the episode we bring to you-!’

**‘HI!’**

\--‘Hi!’—

‘Oh, puberty hit the both of you so hard like-‘

‘How has it only been some months?!’

‘You guys look great! How have you been doing?’

**’Minseok-hyung! Hi! Heehee!’**

‘You’re so cute I’m gonna cry-.’

‘Please introduce yourselves to the audience!’

**’Kookie, you go first.’**

\--‘Ah, okay, um, hi! I’m Jeon Jungkook, it’s nice to meet you! See you- uh, it’s nice to be here!’—

**’And I’m Kim Taehyung! I’m so happy seeing all of you again! And new faces too! I love Vivi!

Can you please show Vivi again?’**

{‘Oh, absolutely-

Vivi! Come here!}

‘…’

‘…’

(‘…’)

‘…’

**’…’**

\--‘…’--

{‘I knew this would happen.’}

**’Please tell Vivi I would die for them!’**

{‘I will, thank you.’}

‘…you know, I don’t think we really thought this whole episode through.’

‘We clearly didn’t but it’s too late now!

Jungkookie! Taehyungie!

Tell us what’s up with you guys!’

**’Oh! I’m back home right now! We just finished sowing season for the first batch of veggies for the summer!’

_AND I’M HERE TOO!_

And Jiminie is here too of course!’**

‘Hi Jimin! People actually wanted to know if you were able to successfully woo the person you were trying to woo when we were there!’

**’I can answer that for you and it’s yes, he succeeded, and it’s gross because they’re so disgustingly domestic.’**

‘We love to see disgustingly domestic relationships!’

‘Congratulations.’

(‘Congratulations!’)

_**’THANKS!’**_

‘What about you Jungkookie?’

\--‘Uh, I’m doing summer program right now- so I’m kinda stuck at dorm, taking the program online.’—

‘Oh no- I feel you.’

\--‘But it’s okay! I’m grateful that my university is able to still provide classes, I know it’s been tough for so many people. All around the world, and uh, yeah- doing good!’—

{‘Dude, it’s totally okay to rant here, I could drop-kick my university name in the dirt right now because of how I feel and-‘}

‘I am a second away from kicking you out of the call!’

{‘…you’re creepy when you smile like that.’}

‘So how are things at the Greenhouse? Any new developments or stories?’

\--‘Before uni started, I was still working at the Greenhouse but as it was winter, there isn’t a lot to do. I didn’t find anymore eggs- I mean, I didn’t go looking for them so uh-‘—

**’Oh! Please do visit! The Greenhouse is beautiful in the summer!

_He means visit when things are okay! Not now!_

Yeah, I meant that!’**

‘Ooh! We absolutely will! I still crave that fish stew from time to time! Please give aunty and uncle our best!’

**’We will! They still ask after you hyungs! The whole town like to talk about you guys from time to time!**

\--‘Yeah! I think you really gained a whole town of subscribers!’—

‘WE LOVE YOU GUYS! WE HOPE ALL THE EPISODES HAVE BEEN FUN!’

‘What about you two? Taehyung and Jimin? You guys are there right now, how’s things?’

**’It’s calm- things are growing well. And we’ve kept an eye out for eggs- I mean, all of us at the Greenhouse do! Even Manager Yoo sometimes goes about with a little spade!’**

‘Oh my god, that’s somehow so cute! Also, there were a lot of comments about him and his absolute chill bravery.’

**’We read them to him! He found it funny that people thought he was being brave!’**

‘People were calling him a legend!’

{‘Oh I agree, Manager Yoo skinny legend.’}

‘…what does that mean?!’

‘Uh, _skinny legend_?’

{‘You’re both so old.’}

‘What on earth does skinny legend mean Sehun-‘

**’Oh my god! He totally is!’**

\--‘Manager Yoo Skinny Legend! Respectfully!’—

‘Wait someone please explain this to me-‘

_[Short break where no one explains a thing to us]_

‘Also I know that you guys have something up your sleeve! Please tell us about it!’

**’Ah, is it really okay to do so?’**

\--‘We uh, don’t want to look like we’re trying to take advantage or-‘—

‘We already said so! We absolutely love and support what you’re doing so please go ahead!’

\--‘Uh, okay, so um, we have a small YouTube channel too, and we uh, take footage of working at the Greenhouse, on the farm, and basically, just an insight to our community.

There’s a lot of unique um, takes on food stuff, cooking recipes, and a lot about gardening.

So um, please give us a look, if that’s what you’re interested in!’—

‘You already have an episode up right?’

**’Yes hyung! We show the process of how we make preserves from rose petals and apples! We show how we harvest them, clean them, store them, and cook them to preserve!’

_WE’RE ALSO SENDING YOU GUYS A JAR EACH WHEN THEY’VE SET!’_**

‘JIMIN-AH I LOVE YOU!’

‘I’ve watched it and it made me miss your town so much! It was so healing to watch!’

\--‘Thank you!--

**’Heeheehee, thank you!’**

‘Guys, we’re gonna link their channel on our description box so please go check them out!’

‘Thanks for making time for this again guys!’

\--‘Thank you too!’—

**_’LOVE YOU GUYS!!_’**

‘Ah! Once again, our wonderful guests from the Greenhouse Hauntings!’

‘Now onto episode 4-‘

**<’AYEEEEEEEE WHAT’S!**

**GOING!**

**ON!’>**

‘…’

‘…’

‘…’

‘I think you just caused Junmyeon some hearing damage.’

**<’Oh no I didn’t mean to oh no was I too loud please forgive me-!’>**

(‘I’m okay! Just shocking!’)

**’We should all yell!

_Also hi Studio NNG! Big fan!’**_

**<’Really?! Thank you so much!!’>**

**’Yes! Loved new song so much! Please consider doing a whole mixtape!’**

\--‘Yeah! It’s really good!’—

{‘Hey, hit me up, we should collab sometimes.’}

‘We really should have planned this better.’

_[temporary break once more]_

‘Hi Chanyeol-ah, how’s things going?’

**<’Hey hyung! Things are okay for me, considering everything.**

**I mentioned this in my channel but I did have a small tour about the country**

**Local gigs and mini-concerts, collabs with other channels.**

**But of course that’s now all delayed for the foreseeable future.**

**And like what you guys said in your first episode of the season, I’m lucky that I lead this lifestyle**

**Like, I don’t have to go out and my work is centered mainly within the comforts of my home.**

**So I’m grateful for that, and want to do what I can to help those who aren’t as fortunate as me.’>**

‘This is a great segue into what we wanna talk about in further detail!’

‘Yeah, like Chanyeol said, and what we said at the start of the season, we want to help how we can!’

‘And in the previous episode we were able to raise a lot of money. So we thought, that for the rest of this season, we will continue to do the same, and every single ad revenue we get will be going directly to local organizations and charities!’

‘And back to our scheduled program!

Everyone wants to know!’

‘How are Gollum and Sméagol?’

**<’Wait! Let me take the phone-!’>**

_[short intermission no one wants to watch a camera violently shaking around]_

**<’Here they are!’>**

_[high pitched squealing and cooing from all over the place we had to mute it for a while sorry]_

‘Oh they look so healthy and plump! They’re curled up around each other that’s so cute-!’

‘Oh my god, Taehyung actually had to mute himself because he won’t stop crying.’

_[Taehyung actually has tears in his eyes]_

**<’I took them to the vets last month for a regular check up and they’re both doing well!**

**They eat well! Poop well too!’>**

{‘Ah yes, this is very important. Do they keep a consistency?’}

**<’Yeah! The vet told me that this is a good sign, and their diet is perfectly well balanced!’>**

‘Can we not talk about poo, please?’

{‘It’s important.’}

(‘I agree!’)

‘I don’t trust you hyung, go away.’

{‘Please address daddy with more respect.’}

‘WE HAVE MINORS HERE-!’

\--‘Uh, I’m not a minor?’—

‘…’

‘…’

‘…’

‘…they really grow up so fast!’

**<’But yeah! They’re doing well! I’m thinking of opening an Instagram just for them!’>**

**’Please do it! I will be your first follower!’**

{‘Oh- should I plug in Vivi right now-‘}

**’No need! I follow Vivi!’**

{‘Thank you, we will follow you back.’}

**<’Great! Comment section please tag your favourite animal Instagram accounts! Even if it’s your pets-‘>**

‘STOP TELLING OUR SUBSCRIBERS WHAT TO DO, DO THIS IN YOUR OWN CHANNEL!’

**‘<BUT IT’LL BE CUTE-!’>**

_[please do link animal accounts or hit us up with pictures of your pets on our twitter or instagram! Let's make a wonderful wholesome thread! We love all good babies!]_

‘So let’s go on ahead with our most anticipated guests!’

‘From our previous season finale episodes!

The DK Hostel for Young Children!

Please welcome back!

Zitao and Kyungsoo!’

=’Hey guys!’=

#’Hey!’#

‘Wow, seriously, Tao-yah, your set-up is stunning!’

=’Thank you! Neon lights are overused for a reason.’=

{‘Agreed. Not all popular things should be hated on just because they’re popular- they’re popular for a reason.’}

=’Absolutely.’=

‘Wait- I keep forgetting that Sehun and Tao know each other and this is literally the worst thing-‘

‘Yeah. I hate to say this but can Zitao and Sehun not talk to each other?

It makes me nervous.’

‘Seconded.’

=’I have no idea what you’re talking about hyung.’=

{’I have no idea what you’re talking about hyung.’}

‘…

I am suspicious.’

=’If that’s the hill you want to die on, sure.’=

‘So! How have you guys been?’

=’Soo! You go first!’=

#’Um, I guess it’s the same as everyone else.

But I think most people are interested in learning about what happened to the hostel?’#

‘I could listen to you talk for hours about quantum mechanics and not understand a word but still love every second.’

#’…I mean thank you I guess?’#

‘Most of here would!

I request something from Lord of the Rings!

You can do a collab with Chanyeol in that!’

**<’…’>**

#’I’ve never watched Lord of the Rings.’#

_[Enjoy this slow motion playback of everyone’s facial expression as we pipe in a sad violin tune over it]_

#’Just kidding.’#

‘I almost gave up on you, please do not do that again.

My world was flashing before my eyes.’

‘The way I nearly choked- Kyungsoo if you’re gonna do something like that please think of the children.’

\--‘I’m not a minor!—

‘I think he’s referring to himself Jungkook-ah! Ignore him!’

‘Damn right we’re referring to ourselves! Think about us next time!’

#’So! Based on where we last left it, the hostel no longer exists.

But due to the pandemic, the grounds are in a state of rubble and ruin basically.

Tao took some pictures – the whole place is deserted and roped off now.

We’re guessing reconstruction will start up after the pandemic or at least when things clear up enough and it’s safe to gather in groups again.’#

‘That’s good to hear! Honestly, the whole experience was quite stressful for many reasons-‘

‘A lot of people thought we were faking what happened-‘

‘About the sleepwalking especially.’

**’Oh! Can I just say that really freaked me out!

Jiminie and I could barely watch it without pausing!**

\--‘Yeah, that was creepy.’—

(‘Oh I agree! I was genuinely frightened for all of you when you were in there!’)

**<’No joke, I would have cried the entire time and the whole video would need voice-over because I wouldn’t stop cursing.’>**

‘Yeah! And I haven’t done any sleep walking since either!’

#’Yeah, I’ve had classmates and friends asking me about that. Genuine subscribers now by the way, they really enjoy the content.’#

‘Thank you Kyungsoo’s classmates and friends!’

#’I also took the liberty of contacting Mrs. Son and Mr. Son-‘#

‘Unrelated!’

#’And they say to give their greetings to you guys.

Mrs. Son had something to add though.’#

‘Oh? Oh wow, please tell us!

And hi Mrs. Son if you’re watching!’

‘Hi Mrs. Son!’

#’She said she’s not sure when she stopped, but she’s stopped sleep-talking now.

Her husband told her a few weeks ago that he hasn’t heard her sleep talk.’

‘Oh my god that’s-!

Wow, oh wow- wow

Wow did we-

Wow.

WOW-!’

‘Please calm down.’

#’But yeah, she’s not sure if it’s just a bout of not sleep talking or something.

But so far, her husband has not heard her sleep talk in a long time.’#

**’That’s wonderful! It’s like the lingering remains of whatever still connected her to the hostel is gone!’**

‘Oh wow, yeah, you’re right!

That’s great news- wait a minute did we-

Did we just perform an exorcism?!’

‘Or we were just the prefix to an action, that is, the collapse of the physical remains of a clearly psychologically heavy and tormenting symbol of her stressed time spent there, which then somehow manifested as a way of relieving her from her unaddressed trauma.’

‘BOOO! I DON’T LIKE THAT AT ALL!’

(‘Or it could be both too!

After all, while Jongdae could be right, we also need to address that, like you said in this episode, so much of supernatural stories and experiences are directly related to our mental health, doesn’t make it any less serious, or any less real, but they’re all correlated in one form or another.

I’m happy that even if it wasn’t necessarily a massive health issue, sleep talking can cause some discomfort for people around you, and that awareness can be stressful no doubt.’)

**<’Now hug and make up!’>**

‘We were literally not even fighting-‘

‘-it wasn’t that serious…-

Okay fine.’

**’Yay! Hug time!

Come here Jiminie!**

‘Big internet hug time!’

‘Hey-!’

‘Oh no-!’

‘Where did Tao and Sehun go?!’

_[For people who follow Zitao and Sehun on Instagram, this probably explains their random joint live call with each other from last week]_

‘Thank you guys for coming again!’

‘Yeah! It’s so good meeting all of you again!’

‘Taehyung and Jungkook! You’re both already too tall! Please don’t grow more!’

**’I can’t promise you that!

It’s so good seeing you guys again!

_Nice seeing you too!_’**

\--‘Thank you for catching up with us! Good luck with the rest of the season! Always looking forward to new episodes!’—

‘Thank you guys so much!’

‘And Junmyeon-hyung, thanks for joining us and sticking around till the end.

Guys, the edit may shorten this all, but we’ve been talking nearly close to 3 hours now.’

(‘Not at all! I’m happy seeing you guys again!)

‘Don’t say that to Sehun! Thankfully- ? Thankfully?

Yeah thankfully I guess, he’s not here to hear it.’

(‘Hahaha, no worries! It’s kinda cute.’)

‘Yeah, he shouldn’t hear that! Bye hyung!’

‘Chanyeol-ah, thanks for dropping by again.’

**<’Of course hyung! I love talking with you guys! We should think of doing a collab again!**

**Without anything spooky!>**

‘Absolutely! We’ll talk to you later Chanyeol!

Bye!’

**<’Bye everyone! Bye guys! Nice seeing you again Kyungsoo!>**

#’You too Chanyeol.’#

‘What do you mean-‘

‘-again?!’

#’It was nice catching up again- on behalf of Zitao, I’ll say our goodbyes!

Everyone stay safe! Bye!’#

‘…’

‘…’

‘Well! I guess, it’s just the three of us again.’

‘…I’m really suspicious.’

‘So am I.’

‘What did they mean _again-‘_

‘I don’t know- I wasn’t aware that-‘

‘Thanks for joining us again for this special episode, we hoped you all enjoyed it!

We’re nearly done editing what we filmed before quarantine, so you’ll be able to enjoy our usual content in a couple of weeks again!

Thank you to everyone again, please stay safe, wear your masks, wash your hands, and be kind to yourselves!

Bye bye!’

_[yeah, Baekhyun and Jongdae forgot to rank the episodes after the first one]_

*

GrimArtandStuff: _LMAO THEY REALLY DIDN’T THINK THIS THROUGH THIS WAS SO CHAOTIC I LOVE IT SO MUCH THIS MADE ME SO HAPPY_

minghaoFrogagenda_: Minseok looks so cute and tiny but I keep remembering his biceps and I keep- questinog everything. also...i too am suspicious about chanyeol and kyungsoo. i remember both of them being teased. what does this mean. hmmm_

AZC: _Omg JongBaek skinny legends_

Baguette Au Pain_: How the fuck did the little tall boys from the greenhouse episode suddenly become supermodels god clearly has favourites my puberty did NOTHING for me_

Mareete: _WOW ZITAO LOOKS SO GOOD I LITERALLY GASPED OUT LOUD WOW HE’S STUNNING. Also lowkey agree like, neon lights are just so cool idc how many times its been used._

Professional Procrastinator 3000: _I love how Junmyeon delivers terrifying stories with the most gentle and calming expression like, this man could read the current news and I’d find it reassuring??????????? He’s such a calm soothing soul, wow. _

Indigo_salad: _Kyungsoo and his glasses I love him. He’s a very good boy. I want his sweater._

Where there is a will, there is an iam: _Need that rose and apple jam in my life RIGHT NOW I just went to their channel it’s so cute???? And wholesome???????? Also we never really saw it before but Taehyung and Jimin’s height difference? Adorable. Fucking adorable. also, BaekDae skinny legends._

Corona is not a myth: _YES PLEASE BRING UP CHANYEOL’S MUSICAL ACTIVITIES IT’S SO GOOD I LOVE IT SO MUCH I CAN’T BELIEVE HE MADE ALL OF THAT DURING THIS QUARANTINE AND EVEN THE MUSIC VIDEO LIKE WOW HE REALLY TOOK WHAT WAS AVAILABLE TO HIM AND MADE A MASTERPIECE OUT OF IT_

Today is March 89: _Low-key was hoping that Junmyeon would’ve reunited with his crush T_T _

DaeDroid: _JongBaek skinny legends_

Incorrect Baekhyun Quotes: _THIS WHOLE EPISODE IS BAEKDAE FAILING TO KEEP THINGS UNDER CONTROL THIS MADE ME SMILE SO HARD WHO KNEW THE WHOLESOME CONTENT I NEEDED WOULD COME FROM A SUPERNATURAL CHANNEL_

SilverInk: _Omg if sehun and Junmyeon actually met I think the world would come to an end_

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _PLEASE THE WAY I CHOKED WHEN THEY ASKED ABOUT JUNMYEON’S CRUSH THE AWKWARD SILENCE AND WIDE EYES FROM EVERY SINGLE SCREEN I LOVE MINSEOK’S EDITING BLESS HIS SOUL_

LuckyFrogSong: _Why am I not surprised that vivi has their own Instagram account and sehun dresses them up in chanel and pearls. and jongbaek skinny legends._

HideoKojimaIsMyDad: _Chanyeol’s been giving us such top quality music just for free like that how is this man not a signed artist like wtf, from slow walk to I’m fine and now with nothin’ we are witnessing a genius_

Hoping For Employment One Day: _Everyone’s quarantine hair was spectacular it’s so cute, but at the same time, nice to see that people are genuinely following rules of quarantine and are setting examples. Also did they forget to rank every episode after the first one._

Bocchann: _On a serious note, Mrs. Son no longer sleep talking is v e r y interesting. I feel like what Jongdae said is very accurate- as an eri myself, I think what he said makes sense. But at the same time…Junmyeon really had a point too._

Im Just A Kidult in a Capitalist World: _The fact…that sehun and zitao’s random and weird dual live last week…I never thought it would lead to this. Kings of spoiling things without spoiling anything._

The Penguin Club:_ tbh_ _even if kyungsoo never actually watched lord of the rings, i would accept it. _

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _what a great episode from skinny legends baekhyun and jongdae _

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> MAJOR THANK YOU TO LEV AND ARYA_ORSON FOR THEIR SUPPORTING IDEAS THAT LEAD UP TO THIS CHAPTER  
GUYS  
I MIGHT BE EMPLOYED SOON  
I was previously working as a junior 3D modeler earlier this year until well  
Lots of things mainly the lack of work permit/visa made me quit but lets just say it was not the nicest place to work  
So since march ive been looking for a job! And then got stranded here in Thailand due to covid ever since.  
And FINALLY  
Last week I got a call from this company  
Tbh ive sent so many emails to so many people and companies idk who I contacted for what  
Well I applied for a Motion Graphics Designer position (I know I’m in 3D but I did learn motion graphics too and was freelancing as one to pay for uni fees) and I went for an interview and it went?????????? Well!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
God, never knew validation came from an interview.  
Like it wasn’t like they were praising me  
Just that  
Being treated like a level-headed, skilled and trained artist, with decency and respect  
I was just really validated  
Also kinda sad if you think about how in a sense, basic human decency is so scarce when you experience it you nearly cry  
AND I JUST GOT A CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE A TEST-DAY SO I’M GOING IN THIS THURSDAY FOR A TEST  
IDK WHAT SORT OF TEST BUT GOTTA BRUSH UP EXTREME MOTION GRAPHIC SKILLS AGAIN  
PLEASE WISH ME LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
Also I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!!  
I know you guys are curious as to what Minseok faced/saw in the prvious chapter!!!!!!! We shall find out soon enough!!!!!!!!!!


	21. Unsolved Vlogs Special Episode: The Nanny

‘Hey guys! Before the episode starts wanted to say that we filmed this almost literally some days after filming at the Fifth Division Grounds!’

‘We were trying our best to film as much as we could before university started. So that also means!’

‘This was all shot before quarantine was issued!’

‘We hope you guys stay safe wherever you are!

Wear a mask!’

‘And also a massive thank you for last week’s episode! We know we did a whole live on twitter but just wanted to say again, thank you for being so generous, and for not skipping the ads!’

‘Thanks again!’

‘Now please enjoy this excellent video with our good and lovely friend Yongsun-noona!’

‘Yes! And also though I’m sure we say it in the video, please subscribe to her channel!’

‘BYE!’

‘BYEEEE!’

*

‘Wow!’

‘Don’t say it, you always say it-‘

Minseok pans the camera back to Baekhyun who smiles uncomfortably. Minseok purposefully zooms in a bit too much into his face.

‘I hate this place!’

Minseok pans the camera back up to the large condominium building.

‘It’s a _building_\- with at least 100 people living in it, you can’t just say that about every place!’ Jongdae argues, arms crossed, foot tapping aggressively on the pavement.

‘I can and I will,’ Baekhyun replies back as Minseok pans the camera back to the two of them, dressed warmly as an unexpected cold chill settled all over the country. ‘I’m getting uncanny vibes.’

‘Well, I think it makes for wonderful city aesthetics,’ Jongdae points at the camera, ‘City-aesthetics lovers out there, you know exactly what I mean.’

Minseok certainly appreciates the aesthetic Jongdae is referring to. If only he wasn’t so tired.

Normally, Minseok sleeps well. He doesn’t have to wait long to fall asleep. If he has any difficulty sleeping it’s either because he’s drunk too much coffee and energy drinks, grinding away at a project/assignment, or because he’s anxious.

‘I mean sure but-‘

‘Baekhyun, my bro, you need to understand that with certain aesthetics, it’s important to maintain a mood- and that mood is, at least by you, being translated as _spooky_,’ Jongdae says pedantically, ‘But for me, a cultured artist and enjoyer of the human condition, I see it as the stain of humanity.’

‘You take _one _philosophy and anthropology class and suddenly you’re Nietzsche,’ Baekhyun rolls his eyes _hard_.

‘Hey, you take that back- we don’t tolerate mocking people for taking an interest on something or realizing something after being introduced to it! Those classes opened my eyes to a different perspective-‘

‘Sure, Professor Yoon was really good and I appreciated her lectures regarding human culture as a whole and how it effects the distinctions of environmental aesthetics depending on the era of history but what I’m saying is that I really am not getting a good vibe from this place-‘

‘-that’s just projection-‘

‘Uh- are they gonna keep yelling at each other?’

Minseok is slightly shaken out of his stupor- momentarily surprised from his own thoughts. He hadn’t realized how much he hadn’t really been paying too much attention. He hopes that the footage he’s captured isn’t cutting Baekhyun or Jongdae off at an odd angle or something.

Minseok just wants to be able to sleep properly for once.

‘Oh yeah,’ Minseok smiles at the woman with a nod, ‘Don’t worry about them- this is how they start most episodes.’

‘Well, I guess everyone has their own style!’ she says emphatically with a small gesture.

‘I mean, we can start the interview right now,’ Minseok turns the camera away to direct it towards Yongsun, their guest for the episode.

She was a YouTuber herself. It was quite a “funny” story how she came to reach out to them.

While her channel covered a variety of topics from the occasional daily lifestyle vlogs, makeup, skincare, hair and style, education, music and singing (especially the singing!), even _pole-dancing, _and cooking and the arts, Kim Yongsun was beloved and popular in the lifestyle/vlogger side of YouTube in her own right. Minseok had heard of her because she had been the topic of conversation on the internet when she released an episode on raising awareness about female genital mutilation. Lots of people commended her for bringing such a horrible topic to light with honesty, well researched information, and while not mincing the details, maintaining professionalism and discretion.

So about 2 months ago, Yongsun had made a vlog visiting her sister to babysit for her. Her sister had moved to a new apartment, and she was there to help the moving process as well as look after her nearly 3 year old niece. In her video, she had said that only her sister and herself had been there, setting up the apartment. A few people had asked who then, was the third person in the video, and why she was lying. This had caused quite an issue within her channel’s community with people who saw no one else other than the sisters and the baby, and those who claimed they saw someone else. So Yongsun had decided to ignore the issue. She was somewhat used to the usual toxic comments she occasionally received. She believed it was some sort of attack regarding her comment in the video where she had jokingly made a comment about the sisters being more efficient than a group of men at moving and organizing. So she thought people were trying to frame her as some sort of anti-male/man-hater yet still recruiting the help of one by claiming someone else was in the video. Yet somehow, the next time she filmed herself babysitting at her sister’s place, she received the same comments.

She had ignored the comments, but during a live, someone had asked if it could have been a ghost. And then someone suggested to her to contact the Unsolved Vlogs. Yongsun then thought it over, and had confessed over their meetings that she didn’t think they were actually credible, but a few of her subscribers, were fellow Unsolved subscribers, had vouched for them. Minseok remembers being very touched, alongside Baekhyun and Jongdae. She then watched their episodes.

But still wasn’t convinced to do anything about it!

But that wasn’t until her sister actually confessed to her that she didn’t feel safe in her apartment. Concerned, Yongsun started staying with her sister at her place for a few weeks. And then decided that yes, she would definitely contact them to arrange for some sort of collaboration.

So here they were, after several emails, two face-to-face meetings, and some additional phone calls, standing in front of the condominium her sister and niece lived in.

Not for long though. Because Yongsun explained that her sister and niece were living with her at the moment. She would move out at the end of the month.

Yongsun was a bright and energetic woman, definitely competing with Baekhyun on both charm, energy, and general likeableness. Minseok absolutely understands why people love watching her content. She had a strong positive vibe to her and was very genuine. Working alongside her for this episode was easy and smooth as well. In one of the meetings, they even met her sister and niece.

That was an interesting meeting because while Yongsun’s niece easily took to Baekhyun and Jongdae despite being shy at first, almost started crying the moment Minseok said hi, or even got close to her. And while Minseok understands that children and babies definitely had their preferences for preferred adults, he knows babies and children tend to like him a lot. It was almost as though she was scared of him. Both Yongsun and her sister were apologetic but Minseok, tired and strung-up, feels a strange bout of oddness settle over him.

Watching her episodes where people supposedly saw another person in her sister’s apartment, neither Baekhyun and Jongdae can see it but Minseok can.

There’s definitely something in the apartment- in fact, _several _of them. They’re only visible inside the niece’s room. Shadowy forms that appear briefly for a frame or two- standing with their backs turned to the door, facing the wall by the low baby crib.

‘Yeah?’ Yongsun laughs sunnily, cheeks pushing up in a way her fans describe as _rising bread_. ‘Okay! Let’s do it! I’ll do my own greeting!’

‘Please do!’ Minseok encourages her, pushing a smile and a cheeriness he most certainly did not feel. He’s just tired and sluggish and wishes he could sleep, wishes his eyelids would close, wishes his dreams weren’t draining, wishes he didn’t see those eyes-

‘Everyone! It’s me! So-! La-! Shi-! Do-!’ she winks at the camera, twirling in an exaggerated flashy manner. ‘And you must be wondering what I’m doing here at Unsolved Vlogs but-!’

‘Noona!’

‘Hyung! Noona! That’s unfair!’

Yongsun bursts out into laughter. Minseok pans the camera back to them where they’re huffing at both of them in comic offence.

‘Come on then! Or I’ll take over your careers!’ Yongsun chides good-naturedly.

‘Threatening us at our own channel!’ Baekhyun gasps as he jogs over, ‘Noona!’

Yongsun just tosses her hair back and winks at the camera in a conspirator-like manner.

‘Well guys I guess noona did the introduction already?’ Jongdae grins at the camera.

‘But we should do it properly again!’ Baekhyun declares before quickly blurting out without tone with one breath, ‘Welcome to today’s episode of Unsolved Vlogs, I’m Baekhyun, this is Jongdae, that’s Minseok-hyung in the back and this is Yongsun-noona from So-La-Shi-Do, we are here to investigate a possibly haunted and chilling apartment where its inhabitants have said they felt unsafe and watched, with strange rashes, sounds, exhaustion, and general bad luck have been reported. Let’s begin.’

Both Yongsun and Jongdae stare at Baekhyun, amusement and some form of awe in their eyes before the clap in unison.

‘Have you considered being a rapper?’ Yongsun asks Baekhyun seriously as he blushes.

Minseok thinks it’s a good ending cut for their introduction for the episode.

They make their way through the courtyard/driveway of the condominium building and come to the public outdoor lobby. It’s definitely a lot more crowded than where they’re used to filming. This was a good condominium building and not more than a decade old too. They of course did their research on the location and whatever they could find of the building or past inhabitants.

They arrange the camera and set up the lights as best as they can before starting the interview.

‘All right where do we even start?’ Jongdae begins, ‘This is honestly a first time for us I think.’

‘Yeah, we’ve never done an Unsolved vlog in a place where someone is still living- well sort of living, your sister and niece stay with you now don’t they?’

‘That’s right,’ Yongsun nods.

‘Okay, well we know the story, but for our audience, will you explain what’s been happening to you, your sister and niece, at this apartment?’ Baekhyun asks, gesturing to Yongsun.

‘Wow- yeah, I’ll be honest, I never thought I’d be covering content like this at all!’ Yongsun laughs, ‘I’m I guess, what you would call a soondoongie?’

Jongdae and Baekhyun both laugh out loud.

‘I mean, sure I spook easy, I can’t watch horror!’ Yongsun claims at once, ‘But that’s all for good fun. I never thought I would ever experience something that could come from a horror movie!’

‘To be fair, the whole thing does sound a bit like a horror movie.’ Jongdae nods in agreement.

Minseok quietly takes a seat, drawing a brief worried look from Baekhyun because Minseok normally liked to keep a sharp eye over the recordings. His headache, a daily occurrence now, was starting to slowly build up behind his eyes and over his temples.

Yongsun explains what happened. They received permission to take some of Yongsun’s footage to show over her speaking for the final cut of the video.

Baekhyun, though he’s heard this before and has watched the episodes in question many times, still shudders as Yongsun tells them what she experienced.

‘You know, you’re tired, you’ve moved to a new place, new part of the city, new job; you’re preoccupied by a lot of things,’ Yongsun explains, ‘My sister started a new job, and my niece just started day care. They weren’t always at the new apartment for prolonged periods of time. And she often slept with her baby- children have a hard time adapting to new places for a longer period of time after all.’

Jongdae and Baekhyun nod as though experienced.

‘When did you start getting worried, or like, alarmed, that something was wrong?’

‘Oh for sure after what my sister said to me,’ Yongsun replies, ‘She said she felt unsafe. Like she was being watched- like something was just…she described it as well, when you’re in like a public place, and you turn the corner on the street and you expect to see someone walking towards you, because you know you’ve heard them, seen their shadow approaching, and you’ve tensed to adjust your walking as you turn the corner and then- well, nothing. And for a moment you don’t quite realize you haven’t just seen a person- but as you walk past, there’s that realization. A strange sinking feeling in your gut. Like you just missed something, but also somehow just witnessed something you didn’t understand.’

‘She’d feel like that? Inside her own home?’

‘Yeah- and whenever I would talk to her or see her, she’d always be so tired looking- like, her eyes were tired, her whole…her whole countenance was just so diminished. She also said to me she felt _drained_\- she was crying when she spoke about it. She didn’t realize she was crying until I told her not to cry. My niece was also unwell- she developed a strange rash. And my sister first thought, well, children do tend to get rashes and the like occasionally. That too, she was mingling with more kids and that’s just a thing that happens.’

Both Baekhyun and Jongdae nod again as though experienced.

‘But then the bruising started- and she started freaking out. And well, one weekend, she was cooking. My niece has started walking, but mostly crawls about. She still keeps baby monitors around of course, and she heard my niece screaming from her room. She instantly rushed over, terrified, but the moment she reached the room, the screaming stopped and my niece wasn’t even inside the room. She was in the living room, sound asleep. In fact, the baby monitor wasn’t even her little bedroom’

Despite being a skeptic, Jongdae is clearly disturbed by this story. Like he had told them last time, he doesn’t understand why or how Yongsun or her sister would lie about something like this. 

‘So I started staying with them. Luckily, with the nature of my job, I’m quite flexible with how I can schedule myself,’ Yongsun continues, ‘So I thought, okay I’ll stay with them, watch over my niece, take care of her rash and stuff.’

‘Yeah of course,’ Baekhyun nods, ‘It’s not like you’re immediately gonna assume something supernatural is happening. Babies definitely develop rashes out of nowhere randomly.’

‘Then I uh,’ Yongsun laughs nervously, something she did quite frequently, ‘I uh, started noticing things too. I mean! Of course with what I’d been reading online and people’s comments, it wasn’t far removed from my immediate thoughts of course!’

‘I don’t blame you,’ Jongdae nods.

‘But like I said, I’m a skeptic, so I ignored it most times-‘

‘-most times? So like, you’d notice something but then pretend it didn’t happen? Multiple times?’ Baekhyun asks in a high voice.

‘Uh-‘ Yongsun glances at the camera, smiling nervously and uncomfortably, ‘Again, I should say this because I don’t want people to just think I’m jumping to conclusions but- well, about a week before my sister and niece moved in with me, around the evening, she called me to tell me she’d be a little late. She was bringing home dinner and so she was like, maybe get a snack or something. And I thought, okay I’ll shower than. So I put on something entertaining for my niece to watch- and I hopped in to shower quickly. I was halfway done and I heard the main door opening. So I yelled out ‘oh you’re here?’ and I heard back-‘

Baekhyun literally closes his eyes, knowing what was coming next, hands forming fists over his thighs as he winces in advance.

‘-‘yes I’m here’.’ Yongsun ends, ‘I literally actually heard what I believe was my sister replying. So I finished washing up, I was super hungry by then, and I hop out and well- my sister was not home. She wasn’t there. No food, nothing. But well, worst of all- I guess in a sense you could say worst of all- I found my niece in her bedroom. We normally keep a playpen around her if either of us are going to be preoccupied about something. And even though she’s gotten much stronger and walks around and _can _push the playpen down- she’s very well behaved. And the playpen hadn’t fallen over or been moved.’

‘I think I know that most of the comments are going to be “YOU STILL STAYED?!?”,’ Jongdae interjects with a short laugh. This makes both Baekhyun and Yongsun laugh as well.

‘You also mentioned that your niece might actually, well, actively see these things in the unit?’ Jongdae asks after they’ve collected themselves.

‘Ah yeah,’ Yongsun fidgets again, looking uncomfortable, ‘Well, this happened before I moved in with them. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I was just talking with my sister in the kitchen as she cooked, and we heard my niece babbling. She’s started saying some words clearly now, and her comprehension is getting better day by day right now.’

‘Oh I’m gonna hate this so much,’ Baekhyun is lifting his hands to his ears.

‘So she was repeating ‘_no, no, no want’ _nonstop.’ Yongsun tells them, ‘At first we ignored it because again, she does babble a lot.’

Jongdae and Baekhyun nod knowingly again.

‘But then I went to check on her, and she was just standing by her crib, and uh well, I realized later on, she was facing that wall, that people say they saw uh-‘

‘-saw a ghost standing there?’ Jongdae concludes.

‘Yeah,’ Yongsun confirms with a heavy sigh followed by a high uncomfortable chuckle before adding, ‘There was also that thing that happened- while staying with my sister, of course I didn’t have friends or guest over.’

‘Of course,’ Baekhyun nods while Jongdae adds, ‘That’s common decency folks!’

‘And again, when my sister called, she asked me who was talking in the background,’ Yongsun fidgets a bit, ‘And well, obviously it was just me and my niece. I wasn’t watching tv or had music on. I had actually been editing an update of mine. She thought I was lying- and well, I guess the stress of things was really getting to us- we argued, uh, extensively, on the phone. She swore she heard a man’s voice and some other people behind me, and I literally turned on a video call to prove to her I was alone. I think that kinda really triggered something for us- a realization that something was not okay. Like, not even in a supernatural way, or anything. So I told my sister after she got home, to just move in with me. And that she should move out.’

‘Well guys I think this is where we also mention that, it’s been some weeks now that Yongsun-noona contacted us and of course, as per usual we do our thorough research,’ Jongdae explains. ‘But unlike other places that are either abandoned, empty, or is a public space, this is an elevated space for rent in a large building.’

‘Exactly- so it’s not just this one singular area, it’s a living space, surrounded very closely by other living units,’ Baekhyun continues, ‘So of course, we had to find out if well, the neighbours around, above, below or anywhere in the building have felt odd things or seen things they can’t quite explain.’

‘So of course, Yongsun-noona and her sister immediately set to find more information about the place,’ Jongdae continues, ‘You can watch that episode on her YouTube channel! As well as our first awkward meeting!’

‘It really was!’ Baekhyun beams brightly while Yongsun cackles heartily.

‘So head on over there to watch all of that! But as a recap of the information Yongsun-noona found there, we’ll summarize it for you!’

‘Basically, what I first did was ask management about who lived in the unit before my sister started renting it,’ Yongsun explains, ‘As it’s a condominium, it’s not like the management necessarily owns all of the units. But of course, records exist. So my sister and I went to ask and well, the unit my sister was renting was leased by the management themselves. But well, with some slight egging and a bit of wheedling, I was able to get out some additional information about the place.’

‘And you just found out about this like yesterday right?’

‘Day before!’

‘And we’re finding out right now!’ Baekhyun is nearly shaking with excitement as he looks at the camera, ‘Noona said we would find this _very _interesting!’

‘Yes so!’ Yongsun is on the same frequency of excitement as Baekhyun as she leans in a little into her seat, ‘So basically, the whole building is about 10 years old. And for almost 7 years, my sister’s unit has never been rented out by the initial people who bought it.’

‘Suspicious!’ Baekhyun declares.

‘That’s what I thought too! So the management couldn’t contact the owners- they had changed out the locks so they couldn’t get in with the master key after years of completely vanishing on them. So basically, there was a whole legal thing that happened and management took back the unit, refurnished it, renewed everything and made sure it was still functional, and then put it up for sale and rent.’

‘Your sister is not the first to rent it though?’

‘No! That’s the thing, when I asked the staff, they weren’t too surprise after we told them that my sister was going to move out,’ Yongsun looks gleeful as she adds, ‘They say people don’t tend to stay for more than 3 months.’

‘Oh? So there’s a definite pattern here then,’ Jongdae leans in as well, looking thoroughly interested.

‘Is there any information about the people who owned the unit originally?’ Baekhyun asks.

‘Nothing. The staff I spoke to is new- well, she’s only been here a little over a year.’ Yongsun replies, ‘And that would definitely be something against management policy I’m sure.’

‘Ah, policies,’ Baekhyun sighs heavily.

‘She did however,’ Yongsun begins, making both Jongdae and Baekhyun lean way forward at her words. ‘Say that, from what she heard from the senior management staff who were working at the time of them opening up and checking the unit, it was fully furnished and had like, cooking utensils, couches and sofas, curtains, lamps- like it was all set up, super dusty, but just, no one lived there for a very long time.’

‘This is very suspicious,’ Jongdae nods slowly, ‘I mean this is a good area, you’re definitely gonna get renters or even buyers for a place like this. Why would anyone just leave it?’

‘Either way, you can watch the full details about that on Yongsun’s channel!’ Baekhyun cheerily adds, ‘We will now head on up for a tour!’

‘Yay! Leggo!’ Yongsun cheers, winking and pointing at the camera, making both Baekhyun and Jongdae imitate her.

Minseok stands up, reading to take down the tripod. He had already planned on where to set up the cameras based on the videos they had watched of inside the apartment space. He ignores how his headache was now on full blast.

‘Hyung you okay?’

Minseok looks up to find that Baekhyun’s walked over to him. Jongdae is talking to Yongsun, showing him their handheld camera setup.

‘Yeah, I’m just a little tired,’ Minseok smiles at the younger.

‘We could reschedule things if you’re not feeling good,’ Baekhyun looks at him with concern, ‘Have you been getting enough sleep?’

‘Not really,’ Minseok gets out, deciding to be honest, ‘I don’t know why though.’

Baekhyun’s lips do that funny upturn when he’s upset and Minseok reaches up to pinch his lips instinctively.

‘It’s okay, if I’m feeling very poorly, I’ll tell you guys,’ Minseok reassures him. ‘Maybe that obstacle course really wore me out.’

Baekhyun gives him a hesitant smile, still worried as he looks him over.

‘Are we good to go?’ Yongsun asks, looking at them with some concern.

‘Yeah!’ Minseok hefts the stand over to his shoulder to balance it as he holds up their main camera.

‘You were saying something interesting about Minseok-hyung last time,’ Baekhyun begins.

‘Yeah!’ Yongsun agrees brightly, ‘Guys, I don’t know how to explain this, but I think my viewers will know it when I say it, but Minseok-oppa looks a lot like my cameraman!’

Minseok would kinda have to agree if he’s being honest. Yongsun, though she normally vlogged by herself, also had a cameraman and editor, much like Minseok is to Baekhyun and Jongdae, who according to the kind of content Yongsun would be filming, would help her out. They had met her in their first meeting, and though it hadn’t really registered at the time (most definitely the tiredness and lack of sleep), Minseok guesses he does share similarities with Moonbyul.

‘I mean I guess there is definitely a similarity,’ Jongdae nods fervently as they pick up their camera equipment.

Minseok is acutely aware of the heightened nervousness emanating from Yongsun (also Baekhyun but that’s expected), and it’s also what’s makes _him _nervous. Because he knows a skeptic who is trying their best to remain a skeptic despite the evidence around them. And Yongsun was definitely one of them. Her doing this was a sort of way for her to be able to dismiss all of this as a result of stress and anxiety.

They got on the elevator and they all kinda don’t speak much. The unit was on the 8th floor.

‘I uh- gotta admit I’m nervous,’ Yongsun confesses.

‘Hey, it’s okay if you don’t wanna go back in,’ Jongdae tells her sincerely. ‘I mean, if you don’t want to do this, it’s okay.’

Yongsun shakes her head as the elevator comes to a stop at their designated floor.

‘No I want to do this,’ she tells them with a serious nod.

When they step out, Minseok is internally bracing himself. But he senses nothing out here. And that was to be expected. If this was an isolated event, then only the affected area would display any signs of a haunting or something like it. Out here it’s a well lit hallway, clean, if not a little too lengthy.

‘This is not a hallway I want to walk through by myself at night,’ Baekhyun remarks to no one’s surprise.

But it’s not that bad, Minseok thinks. There were some nice potted plants outside a few doorways, bright colourful number plaques, some doors were painted a different colour too. Overall it looked lived in and used which Minseok appreciates.

‘So we’re in unit 811?’ Jongdae asks as Yongsun leads them down to the left.

‘Yes, we’re actually right at the corner,’ Yongsun adds.

‘Basically you’re neighbours with only one other unit,’ Baekhyun comments as they walk down the hallway. ‘Other than the people in front?’

Yongsun confirms his question before slowing to a stop at the doorway. Still, Minseok senses nothing. Doesn’t mean he’s not prepared.

‘Well, here we are,’ Yongsun giggles nervously before adding, ‘Oh, I’m suddenly so nervous, what do I do?’

‘Would you prefer if I opened the door?’ Jongdae offers.

‘I uh- I’ll unlock it,’ Yongsun says, ‘Could you push it open?’

Jongdae nods encouragingly.

Yongsun’s hand is shaking slightly as she unlocks the door and pushes in the additional electric lock code.

Minseok doesn’t know how to feel.

There’s something- he _knows it_. He’s seen it. And in fact, when the door opens completely and Minseok is allowed a view inside, he’s 100% sure there were some things inside _waiting _for them to enter. He could almost see them, backs turned in the shadow, anticipating them, slowly turning to look at them when Jongdae switches on the lights. His head suddenly feels like it’s going to explode.

‘Well. This is a very nice place,’ he remarks, looking about with appreciation. ‘It’s a good set-up for a small family! Oh! Double sinks!’

This makes Yongsun laugh, allowing her to be less nervous. They take off their shoes and enter the place.

It was a nice set up. The hallway was short, and to the immediate left a deep set cupboard/storage space. Then the floor lifted a tad bit, to create a separation between the entryway and the rest of the living area. The open style kitchen spread to the right, and opposite it was the living room space. To the left were two doorways, obviously leading to the bedrooms. To the block end past them was another door that was open to show a bathroom.

‘Uh, well, when we left we kinda packed just the most important stuff, which was mainly things for my niece to make her comfortable at my place,’ Yongsun explains, ‘So the place is kinda messy, please forgive us! We wanted to come back here to clear things up a little but to be honest, the idea of coming here, just us, it made us both feel sick.’

‘Of course,’ Baekhyun says at once from the kitchen area. ‘Please don’t apologize, we absolutely understand.’

‘I do have suggestions for where you can keep the cameras,’ Yongsun smiles at them as she stops by one of the bedroom doors.

Suddenly, all the hair on the back of Minseok’s neck stands on end, his head is pulsing like there’s something pounding inside his brain against his skull, his breath is suddenly cold in his lungs and-

‘This is my sister’s room,’ Yongsun says, opening the door and switching the lights on inside.

-a weight sort of drags up against him, something behind him clinging hard onto him. He’s barely able to climb further up into the unit- as though something was pulling him back from entering.

He’s holding the camera up, he can’t reach into his pocket for the charm he brought with him. So he pushes forward, and like a snapping elastic band, Minseok trips forward, foot catching on the ledge of the short step.

‘Oh shit-,’ he manages to get out as he stumbles forward, falling to one knee.

‘Hyung!’ Baekhyun is instantly on him, worry etched all over his features.

‘Everything okay?’ Yongsun asks worriedly, coming over quickly.

But Minseok can’t quite hear them- instead he winces as high shrieks erupt from somewhere within the unit.

‘Oh I just tripped,’ Minseok manages to get out, ‘I miscalculated the height of the step.’

‘Actually noona, do you have like juice or something, I think hyung is tired.’ Baekhyun says at once. Jongdae is on them in an instance.

‘Hyung, you’re not feeling well?’ he asks worriedly.

For a brief moment, an unknown foreign flare of irritation sparks up in him but it vanishes almost at once. It was fleeting, but Minseok was suddenly irrationally angry and had every mind to yell at his friends. But it’s gone almost at once- making him second guess what he had even been feeling. Even his headache has dissipated somewhat- just a faint remnant of the pain lingering like muscle memory.

‘Ah, it’s lack of sleep I think,’ Minseok tells them as he stands up. Yongsun has opened the fridge and takes out a juice pack, the kind designed for children.

‘Here! We can all use it I guess,’ she offers cheerily.

‘Thank you,’ he takes the cool juice pack with some relief. Minseok hadn’t even realized he was feeling unnaturally warm. ‘I’m okay, let’s continue.’

‘Okay,’ Baekhyun says slowly.

‘I’ll order food in right now so we can eat,’ Yongsun declares. ‘I’ve watched your episodes I am sure it must be draining!’

‘Noona, you’re a genius.’ Baekhyun says earnestly.

After a short delay, they start up the tour with all of the lights still on. Yongsun keeps her niece’s bedroom for last. She’s also clearly the most nervous for this. And Minseok can understand why. He _hears _them. They’re still screaming- and it’s such an odd unnerving thing.

‘I’m getting goosebumps,’ Baekhyun shudders, pulling up his sleeve to show the camera his goosebump-covered skin.

‘Actually, so am I,’ Jongdae says with some surprise, ‘Hey look, my hair’s standing on end.’

Yongsun fidgets, twisting the edge of her jacket sleeves nervously, ‘Oh I hate this- I’m getting it too, my neck feels so-‘ she shudders, knees wobbling as well.

‘I’ll open it,’ Jongdae says, pushing the door open and reaching to the side of the wall to switch on the lights.

And they’re standing there.

Right next to the crib, 3 cowering tall figures hunched up pushing desperately against the wall, their shrieks turning into whimpers, black hands gnarled and smoky helplessly pushing.

Minseok can’t breathe. He doesn’t understand what he’s seeing.

‘So this is where, according to some of your viewers, they saw something in the background of this room?’ Baekhyun asks, nervously stepping into the room.

The 3 figures scream their loudest as Minseok enters and immediately stop. They go completely still.

‘Yes,’ Yongsun replies, walking to the other side of the crib. ‘And well, I don’t know if you can tell, but this is the-‘

‘-coldest place in the unit,’ Jongdae frowns as he looks around, clearly looking for air vents as he backs up to the window. ‘I don’t feel a drought from the window.’

Minseok feels sweat dripping down his back.

‘I thought this was a good angle to keep the camera,’ Yongsun says, moving away from the crib towards a white wooden drawer. ‘This is a good stable place to balance a tripod.’

‘Yeah,’ Minseok says in agreement, turning away from the 3 figures to address Yongsun. ‘Thank you.’

They set up the cameras- keeping a motion detector in there as well.

By the time they’re done setting up all of the cameras and they’re ready for the final shoot, their food arrives. Yongsun and Baekhyun go to get the food, while Minseok and Jongdae remained at the unit.

‘Are you sure you’re okay hyung? You’ve been looking pale,’ Jongdae asks again as they set up the table to eat. Minseok catches a glimpse of the frozen 3 figures inside the baby room, still unmoving from where they were stuck.

‘I’ve been having difficulty sleeping,’ Minseok tells him, ‘It’ll pass, I’m sure.’

He’s not sure. In fact Minseok has a sinking feeling this was something he was going to have to really look into.

They eat their dinner with gusto. Yongsun had wanted to be there for the investigation part of the shoot, though she had no intention of sleeping in that unit anymore.

When they finish eating, Minseok realizes it’s no longer quiet. Instead, the previous shrieks which turned to silence was now changed to whimpering cries.

It makes Minseok incredibly uncomfortable and unsettled and with him being so tired he’s not quite able to maintain a normal façade, causing his friends to occasionally give him worried looks.

Yongsun has her own camera setup as well, not unlike what Jongdae and Baekhyun had on them. Seeing as this was not a wide area for them to walk around in, Baekhyun and Jongdae had decided to bring an EMF reader, and Baekhyun’s favourite Spirit Box.

As part of their video editing process and overall style of their videos, they do another short in-the-dark replay of events they had already discussed and narrated downstairs. But as soon as that’s done, they pick up the EMF reader as well as a thermal-imaging camera filter over on the camera Baekhyun had attached to his chest.

‘You know, I don’t quite trust EMF readers,’ Jongdae tells Yongsun as Baekhyun starts it up.

‘Oh? How come?’

‘It goes off with electric readings right? In the city, literally within a building that is surrounded by wires, with WiFi signals, television signals, phones, radio- there’s no way we’re not gonna get a hit-‘

‘AHA!’ Baekhyun yells. ‘The lights spiked up to red!’

‘There’s literally a water filter beneath that cupboard,’ Jongdae deadpans. Yongsun giggles nervously.

Obviously, they leave the baby-room for the last.

‘Oh my god-‘ Baekhyun suddenly gasps, ‘Guys you won’t believe what I just saw on the thermal cam I swear to god something was like _moving_-!’

Yongsun squeals, holding her hands up to her ears, expression terrified.

‘…did someone fart?’ Jongdae asks.

Their laughter borders hysterical.

‘Okay so let’s settle here,’ Jongdae sits down in the middle of the baby room. Baekhyun and Yongsun follow suit and Minseok stands by the door, capturing all of them from a slightly higher angle for a while before he also sits down.

‘Okay, I’m gonna start up the Spirit Box,’ Baekhyun announces to the room. Minseok _hates _the way the 3 figures won’t move but they won’t stop _whimpering_. He also feels, with an increasing sense of apprehension, something building up from within the room but he doesn’t know what it is.

Yongsun flinches as Baekhyun starts up the Spirit Box.

‘Is anyone here with us?’ he asks nervously, leg twitching nonstop. Obviously they don’t get any responses- or at least, none that Jongdae finds credible. The sound is starting to make Minseok feel hazy as they push past 2 minutes of it.

‘Why won’t you leave?’ Baekhyun asks.

Suddenly, the 3 figures writhe against the wall and as though with a lot of effort, they turn around.

‘-_can’t-!’_

Their scream mixes with the frequency of the Spirit Box, making Yongsun scream, and even making Jongdae jolt in surprise.

‘Wow- fuck, I mean, fudge, uh- that was a very clear-‘

‘-that was “_can’t”- _ I heard that too,’ Jongdae frowns, leaning into the Spirit Box.

‘_-STOP-!’_

Minseok is frozen, unable to tear his eyes away from the 3 figures struggling to move, inching closer to him by the doorway, their choked screams directed straight at him.

‘_-LEAVE US-!’_

‘Uh- hold on this is terrifying-,’ Baekhyun stammers, ‘This has never happened before-!’

‘_-PLEASE-!’_

They scream at Minseok and he’s frozen he can’t move he can’t he can only watch in horror as they twitch harshly, gnarled hands stretching out before them as they recklessly throw themselves towards him-

The lights are blinding when Yongsun, unable to tolerate being in the dark with the Spirit Box anymore, switches on the lights.

Minseok flinches, quickly closing his eyes at the sudden assault of light.

‘I’m so sorry!’ Yongsun says as Baekhyun quickly switches off the Spirit Box. ‘But it was too much and-!’

With the white noise of the Spirit Box gone, suddenly, everything is lifted.

Minseok can’t see them in the room anymore. No more crying, no more whimpering, no more shrieking. Their forms are gone completely.

‘Hyung here,’ Jongdae is crouched before him, handing him a tissue for his watering eyes.

‘Thanks Dae,’ Minseok takes it, dabbing at his face.

‘I think- that concludes the investigation part,’ Baekhyun says shakily before he and Yongsun both shriek as there’s a knock on the front door. But it’s only Moonbyul who came to pick up Yongsun.

They bid them both goodnight, additionally thanking Yongsun for taking the trash out with her which she finds very amusing.

‘That was absolutely terrifying,’ Baekhyun says.

Minseok is so confused.

He doesn’t see them anymore. Doesn’t see the 3 figures, doesn’t feel them anywhere in this apartment. There’s _nothing _here now. And Minseok doesn’t understand.

He wonders if he should try stamping the charm or placing a few of the stickers onto the walls. He retrieves the stamp and small bits of contact-paper but to his surprise, his hands and fingers come out smudged with ink. None of the stickers can work, and the little rubber stamp he had carved out himself has crumbled, leaving only bits of the rubber pad still attached to the plastic handle.

Even after they return from Minseok’s parked car with sleeping bags and some additional items they would need for the night, Minseok sense _nothing _inside the unit anymore. It was almost as though he hyper-dreamed the whole thing. They camp out in the living room as planned. They insist that Minseok takes the couch as he’s unwell so he obliges them and lays back. In a way that terrifies him, he’s at peace again.

They talk for a while, before slowly drifting off to sleep. Minseok doesn’t even realize he’s fallen asleep until he suddenly wakes up.

He can’t move.

He’s frozen in place in his sleeping bag on the couch. He can just make out Jongdae’s foot and Baekhyun’s form on the floor below. But most of all, the tall bent shadowy form he last saw in full at the Fifth Division Grounds is hulking by the doorway of the baby-room.

This time, the eyes that watch him from the darkness seem to smile at him, a strange stretch in the darkness that moved as though it were a mouth full of food, chewing slowly.

It swallows with relish before sinking away into darkness.

Minseok watches the sunrise, flooding the quiet unit with morning light, sleep deprived and terrified.

The light of the sun brings him no comfort as he sits up, exhaustion wearing down at him. The moment he keeps places his feet on the ground, he catches sight of the shadow seeping around him. It’s barely noticeable, barely audible- but Minseok can sense it now.

_He was being haunted._

*

Where there is a will, there is an iam: _There are many reasons why this episode was terrifying and we don’t have time to unpack every single one of it so you know what, let’s just let it be_

minghaoFrogagenda_: Okay we’re back on track boys we’re going straight back into terror again I knew that last week’s wholesomeness was just a ruse for this absolute nightmare of an episode_

167 is average height: _…I don’t want to sound crazy but uhh did anyone else notice in the short behind the scenes footage inside the elevator there’s uhhhhh, something reflected standing behind Minseok_

Wanna Be Myself: _I loved their chemistry so much! I hope they do more stuff in the future together!!_

Bocchann: _Hi and not to sound hysterical but I went to watch the video mentioned in the episode as well as additional stuff on the So-La-Shi-Do channel related to this unit. And I’m completely with those subscribers who said they say something in those frames. Someone please validate me._

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _Baekhyun was right: AND THEY KEPT ON STAYING THERE??? BITCH I’D HAVE RUN OUT IN AN HOUR TOPS ALL I NEED IS MY PASSPORT, PHONE, CHARGER, DOG, AND WALLET THOSE GHOSTS CAN KEEP EVERYTHING I’M NOT GOING BACK_

Why Are All The B-Sides Bops?: _GUYS I DIDN’T THINK THEY COULD TOP SEASON TWO LIKE THE GREENHOUSE EPISODE AND THE HOSTEL EPISODES HAD ME CRYING BUT THIS ONE- WHEN THOSE VOICES SAID “LEAVE US” I NEARLY PEED MY PANTS_

Mareete: _I hate that this involves a baby this just made it a billion times scarier_

Radishes Are Good For The Soul: _I wanna point out to anyone who might read this comment that yongsuns sister is a divorced-single mum. She obviously has a lot of pressure to keep up looking like a super mum so any comments about her or even Yongsun or least of all the little girl, should be respectful. I really appreciate how this channel respected that and did not air out unnecessary information unlike SOME channels who covered this_

DrinkThatWaterBtich: _THE FACT THAT THE SPIRIT BOX ACTUALLY SAID ALL OF THAT I HATE IT SO MUCH IT’S SO UPSETTING I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHY YONGSUN PANICKED AND SWITCHED ON THE LIGHTS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TERRIFYING EVEN WITH THE LIGHTS ON_

Incorrect Baekhyun Quotes: _Hey is it me or is Baekhyun getting braver in this season?_

Four Seasons, Four Colours: _Lmao I wanna say that was definitely something really suss in the thermal camera footage but now I’m like- it’s a ghostly fart and I can’t stop laughing_

DaeDroid: _You need to watch their awkward interview after this episode trust me you’ll feel better _

Indigo_salad: _OH NO OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MINSEOK AND MOONBYUL REALLY DO LOOK ALIKE WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS INFORMATION MY BISEXUAL ASS IS SO CONFUSED _

Lilithesue25: _Yongsun’s absolute inability to deal with anything scary and her instant reaction being nervous laughter is ME- I was laughing nervously the ENTIRE TIME_

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _baekhyun hyung make a shirt that says 'wow i hate this place' and sell it as merch_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> Special thank you and shout out to my brother in law for telling me this account from his co-worker. Basically his co-worker is Yongsun in this story. Please redirect any cries of terror towards him and not me, I am merely a second-hand messenger   
ALSO I LOVE SOLAR’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL HONESTLY SHE REALLY DOES HAVE A LOT OF FUN WHOLESOME STUFF ON HER CHANNEL PLEASE CHECK HER OUT! SHE HAS ENG SUBS TOO!!! She also covers some important social matter on her channel!!   
Also who is doing it like Mamamoo with doing ad songs that sound like actual comeback singles???????   
Stream Wanna Be Myself for clear skin, confidence, and morale   
Also the fact that Minseok and Moonbyul genuinely look more like siblings than most siblings I know (including me and my sisters) is something I thought I had to put out there  
And most importantly  
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEST BOY MY BEST SUNSHINE HUMAN BEING KIM JONGDAE I WISH I COULD TELL YOU WITHOUT SOUNDING LIKE A CREEP HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU AND ADORE YOU AND HOW YOUR MUSIC HAS TOUCHED ME AND HELPED ME AND HAS JUST INSPIRED SO MUCH CREATIVITY IN ME  
I love him so much  
I wanna hug him super hard but as we’re all socially distancing and pretty sure if I tried to hug him even with the best intentions I would be body slammed onto the ground, and you know, that’s on me no one bail me from jail  
Jokes aside, happy birthday to such an amazing and strong human being who has displayed outstanding artistry, talent, hardwork, dedication, loyalty, love, and provided so much comfort, peace, and bliss with not just his voice but his actions and words. He deserves everything beautiful and good in this world.


	22. Unsolved Vlogs Special Episode: The Phantom of the Theater

‘Something is haunting me.’

‘_Are you sure?’_

‘I’m positive,’ Minseok replies in a low voice as he stands some distance from the food stall Baekhyun and Jongdae were ordering their breakfasts from, the sun shining all around him. He’s exhausted.

‘_Is it residual energy from the former hospice?’ _his aunt asks calmly.

‘I don’t know,’ Minseok replies back honestly, glancing back at his two friends who have to wait for their turn, merrily talking to each other. ‘I- I saw it last week. It was…it was watching me. It said it was waiting.’

‘_It spoke to you?’_

‘Yeah I-‘ Minseok exhales out slowly, ‘And just earlier this morning- I’m with the others and-‘

‘_Minseok-‘_

‘-and there were these three ghouls- ghouls or poltergeists, they were seeped into this apartment unit but they- they were _frightened _of me. Of whatever is…is _attached _to me. They were so frightened and then they breached past, their fear was so massive- they just- they were trying to talk to it- they told it, or me, I don’t know, to leave them alone and then- and then it _ate them._’

The line is quiet. Baekhyun and Jongdae wave cheerily at him from the line and Minseok waves back, arms heavy, his head aching no matter how many pain killers he’s had.

‘_Do you have your charms on you?’_

‘Yes,’ Minseok replies quickly and adds, ‘But they’re…-they’re not working, they’re smudged.’

‘_Minseok…’_

‘It’s…I think it’s playing with me.’

His aunt is silent over the call, clearly thinking hard.

‘I haven’t been able to sleep,’ he confesses, voice small, ‘I’m so tired- sometimes I almost catch my mind slipping, almost like I’m…I dunno, gonna fall asleep but I know I’m not- the other day, I just…got so mad, for no reason- it lasted barely a second because I just- I just knew it wasn’t me- it felt wrong.’

The line is silent again.

‘_You’re out?’ _his aunt asks him eventually.

‘Yeah.’

‘_Don’t go back to your place,’ _she orders him, ‘_It won’t be safe for you.’_

‘But-‘ Minseok frowns. His apartment was blessed and protected and sealed. He was looking forward to returning home to safety.

‘_Minseok, don’t go back home. It’s waiting for you to be less alert. You’re already exhausted, it’s trying to lure you into somewhere, you cannot be alone.’_

‘I don’t want to risk putting my friends in danger by being with them,’ Minseok argues, glancing over at Baekhyun and Jongdae who were now ordering their turn.

‘_I will send you the address of some of my friends there,’ _she replies, ‘_They will take you in for the next couple of nights or so.’_

‘Okay,’ Minseok exhales out slowly.

‘_You’re gonna have to wait for a while though,’ _she tells him, ‘_Is there a public place you can stay in? Outdoors?’_

‘We’re still working today,’ Minseok tells her.

‘_…Minseok, you’re going to wear yourself out.’_

‘It’s keeping me distracted to be honest,’ Minseok confesses, ‘This is genuinely helping me- I thought I had it under control but last night-‘

‘_You’re getting too tired- stay strong, this is-…there’s something wrong with this. I’m going to contact my friends immediately. Is your phone charged?’_

‘It is.’

‘_Good, keep it that way, I’ll call you as soon as I get confirmation.’_

‘Thank you,’ Minseok wants to sag down onto the floors.

‘_And Minseok.’_

‘Yes?’

‘_I already told you, you need to tell me when these things happen.’_

‘I’m sorry.’ Minseok internally winces.

‘_Eat and drink well- stay hydrated, got it?’_

‘Got it, thank you.’

Minseok pockets his phone and exhales out slowly. The air is cool, and his breath makes white clouds appear before him. The morning sun isn’t too strong, but it feels nourishing against him. He looks around for a place to sit, something he was meaning to do anyways. The place they were headed to was close to a school. So this area was filled to the brim with stalls and restaurants and cafes catering to students. And wow, did Minseok need sustenance.

After they said their goodbyes to Yongsun and Moonbyul, they headed straight for here, knowing they would need to head directly for their next location shot. Minseok is almost grateful for this back to back filming despite his exhaustion. He does not want to be alone.

They’re close to a sort of park, and Minseok wonders if they should go out there to sit under the sun for a while, and maybe even nap. Maybe he could manage that out here.

Suddenly, a cold shiver presses close to his neck- a rasping breath, a wet sound right at his ear and-

Cold fingers finger up the back of his head in a painfully and terrifyingly familiar way. Minseok has felt this before. Minseok knows this cold, he knows this strange damp paralysis-

‘Hyung! Let’s go to that café there! I think it’ll be warm there!’ Baekhyun appears from his left and Minseok is terrified he’ll get hurt. And maybe that showed because Baekhyun instantly frowns worriedly.

‘You okay hyung?’

‘Yeah, sorry, I just got spooked,’ Minseok replies, taking the still very warm egg and onion pancakes from Baekhyun, ‘Did you ask them to add the cheese?’

‘Yeah of course,’ Baekhyun steps closer, pushing his hand to his forehead, ‘You’re cold.’ He says with a frown before he fumbles into his pocket and procures a face mask, ‘Here hyung, I think you should protect yourself- all that news about viruses right now. I think maybe you’re immune system is taking a hit?’

‘Thanks for saying I’m infectious,’ Minseok accepts the mask with a smile.

‘Infectiously handsome,’ Jongdae chimes in as he nods to their side, ‘That looks like a nice warm café where we can plan the itinerary for today!’

‘Lead the way,’ Minseok smiles, turning around to a lightly populated street.

‘Do we even have enough mics for today?’ Jongdae asks as he hurriedly steps ahead to push open the eatery door for them.

‘I guess they can share? Aren’t there 17 of them?’ Baekhyun frowns before quickly smiling at the servers as they greet them from the reception.

‘There’s 13 of them,’ Minseok replies, the warmth of this place was going to be dangerously sleep-triggering for him if he’s not careful. They find a table by the windows and sit down. Minseok is grateful the chairs are comfortable but not too comfortable. 

‘Why am I thinking 17 then?’ Baekhyun mumbles with a funny pout.

‘Because they’re _called _17,’ Jongdae elaborates, carefully placing his stall bought food on the table before reaching into his pocket for his phone. He quickly scrolls through his emails before pulling up the correct one.

A server comes up to them and places several stacks of the menu before them.

‘It’s too early to eat meat- and I am not drunk either so,’ Baekhyun pushes away the meat option for the grill and picks up on the noodles instead, ‘Hyung, you should have the broth, then I think we should get you some meds.’

Jongdae looks up from his phone with a frown, studying Minseok who sat next to him. And like Baekhyun, he places his palm over his forehead.

Minseok finds it quite endearing.

‘You don’t have a fever,’ Jongdae observes, ‘You okay hyung? You’re kinda pale. Well, paler.’

‘I think it’s what Baekhyun was saying,’ Minseok says as lightly as he can as he peruses the menu, ‘I thought I was getting through this winter without getting sick, but maybe the last weeks are gonna kick my butt.’

‘We have to be careful,’ Jongdae declares, ‘With all this talk about a virus, let’s be safe!’

‘Don’t worry,’ Minseok smiles as he absentmindedly selects a nice big bowl of ramyeon, ‘I won’t infect you two. I just need a good night’s sleep, and our next location shot is in 3 days, plenty to get better.’

He puts down the menu and on the table before him, a pair of elegant and slender hands rest, almost crossing over each other. The nails are bruise-coloured, the skin pale, veins that seem to move dark and inky under the skin.

It’s manner is patient- waiting on Minseok.

‘I think we should order the barley tea as well, I heard it’s good for the immune system,’ Baekhyun says, reaching over the pair of hands as he shuffles to the next seat closer to the window. Minseok dares to look up and it’s just Baekhyun.

_It’s playing with me. _

‘Anything that is a tea is healthy for you,’ Jongdae deadpans.

‘You’re not wrong,’ Baekhyun nods solemnly as a server reappears.

They order and Baekhyun produces his compact laptop and Jongdae his tablet.

‘All right let’s get things into order.’ Jongdae claps his hands together once.

Minseok shakes himself out of his exhausted mental drag and leans in closer to pay attention. In all honesty, he probably needs the reminder because he’s hazy on the details.

‘So we’re headed for the BH-PE School of Performance Arts buildings.’ Jongdae begins, ‘Specifically the second building- this is where their theaters are set up- basically it’s for the theater kids.’

‘Listen I don’t know about you but I have a fear of theater kids,’ Baekhyun states.

‘You would fit in perfectly,’ Jongdae declares at once.

‘Is…is that a compliment.’

‘If you want it to be?’ Jongdae grins before continuing, ‘So we will be investigating the whole building- there’s two floors so to speak, the bottom floor is divided into 3 theater rooms, and the top is divided to accommodate sound and light control rooms. We have 3 separate hotspots so to speak-‘

‘-it should be cold-‘

‘-and there are sightings of shadowy figures, sound of footsteps, flickering lights, things being moved- all the good stuff, basic stuff,’ Jongdae leans in, wiggling his eyebrows, ‘But, we also have physical touches- people have felt a hand or something touch their feet from under the chairs, in both the audience and during rehearsals or meetings. Some people have felt hands trying to grab theirs. But this one is the one that really pushed our guests to contact us.’

‘Full body apparition!’ Baekhyun declares loudly just as their server comes to bring them their food, giving them a slightly judgmental look. Flushing a little, Baekhyun takes the dishes with too much enthusiastic politeness, making the server even more confused than before. For a while they don’t speak, just slurping up their noodles, relief flooding them as hot food settles into their empty stomachs. Their tea is brought in as well, and feeling better, they resume their talk.

‘You were saying full body apparition?’ Minseok asks, wiping his mouth with a tissue.

‘Yeah, seen by the members of the current performing unit at BH-PE,’ Jongdae explains, grabbing his tablet again, ‘So basically, this happened during the end of the last semester. They were celebrating end of the winter term, and before cleaning up the stage, they decided? To play hide and seek?’

‘…is that what kids do for fun these days?’ Minseok asks hesitantly.

‘They’re not _that _much younger than us,’ Jongdae laughs, ‘Sure they’re high school kids but-‘

‘-high school kids that would love to make things up I’m sure,’ Baekhyun snorts.

Minseok finds this amusing.

‘You think they’re lying? On the basis of their age?’

‘I’m just saying,’ Baekhyun shrugs, ‘Kids make things up all the time. And it’s kinda popular to have a haunted theater anyways.’

‘How is having a haunted theater a popular thing?’ Jongdae demands incredulously.

‘It is!’ Baekhyun hotly argues, ‘It’s a talking point, and theater kids man! They’re weird!’

‘Anyways,’ Jongdae rolls his eyes, ‘These three saw the same ghost, sitting on top of a set of drawers inside one of the store rooms. They have mannequins at the theater store, so they first assumed it was that, but that storeroom was specifically being used to store only the furniture and decoration props, not the mannequins or dummies or dolls.’

‘This is all too convenient,’ Baekhyun scoffs.

‘Oh it’s what I thought first too,’ Jongdae grins before he taps a few times on his screen and angles his tablet to show them the display. ‘Oh- a new business email! But not now! So I thought I’d dig into the background of the place first.’

‘Oh no,’ Baekhyun looks up with big eyes, ‘Oh no I should have expected this, you found something you think is-‘

‘-this area once used to be part of a suburban housing area,’ Jongdae smiles gleefully, ‘It was however, torn down and remade, to incorporate the motorway, new roads, and a whole new infrastructure. But it was not the easiest or smoothest of processes. There was a fire, construction failure, accidents- a recently finished building collapsed due to poor design, even an earthquake- a lot of shit went down in this area, concentrated in the area where the school is actually, like, more than usual- I even did a statistical chart on this-‘

‘-you used maths to confirm a haunting?’ Minseok asks incredulously.

‘-you used maths to confirm a haunting?’ Baekhyun asks hysterically.

‘-and this area has a 28% higher cases of accidents in general, compared to other places slash areas during around that time,’ Jongdae sounds very pleased with himself, ‘I did a lot of research guys.’

‘You’re truly a journalist,’ Minseok smiles, giving him a one-armed side hug, ‘Good job.’

Jongdae beams proudly, shoulders up high.

‘Okay okay- so,’ Baekhyun hurriedly butts in, ‘Moving on please, we don’t need your head inflating anymore than it is.’

Minseok laughs, leaning back on his seat and pushing the chair back just a little to stretch his legs. But at his feet, crouched on the floor, a pair of hands rests over bent clothed knees. Black seeps out of the crouched and hidden figure, fingers slowly tapping along, as though merrily listening in on their conversations.

Minseok barely controls his jump-reaction, moving to adjust his seat instead to cover his sharp movements, looking above and away from the sight beneath the tables. But now he can smell it- he can smell it and he’s taken back sharply to a moment in time far back, memory pushed far and deep, unable to forget, but entirely ignored.

Bile rises up his throat and Minseok can’t move faster as he suddenly stands, pushing past and around a startled and worried Jongdae, blindly making his way to the restrooms.

It hurts as he throws up, his throat convulsing, his lungs on fire, his nostrils burning.

‘Hyung?!’ Jongdae’s startled voice worriedly calls through the small 2-stall restroom. Minseok hasn’t locked his stall but Jongdae, ever thoughtful, hasn’t pushed through just yet. ‘Hyung, can I come in?’

His skin clammy, sweat clinging to his forehead and temples, dampening his hair, Minseok manages to upright himself from where he was half kneeling on the floor. He absentmindedly thinks that it’s at least a relief the restrooms were clean. With a weak and shaky hand, Minseok opens the door, attempting a weak smile.

Jongdae’s face is pinched with worry. He helps Minseok out of the stall and towards the sink. He switches the taps for him, reaching over to the other wall to pull out an insane amount of paper towels. Minseok stares at the water flowing for a few seconds before he realizes he’s supposed to freshen up. He splashes his face with water and rinses out his mouth several times as well.

He doesn’t need to look in the mirror to know he looks like crap. He also doesn’t need to look at the mirror to know _it _was standing there at the back of the stall, abnormally tall shadow bent over at an angle against the ceiling, pale long hands held together as though delighted.

Jongdae is gentle as he helps Minseok wipe at his face and hands. The hand wash smells strongly of antibacterial solution and it makes Minseok feel better.

‘I think we need to take you to a clinic,’ Jongdae says seriously, voice low and gentle, ‘And then, we take you home-‘

‘No,’ Minseok shakes his head adamantly, ‘I don’t want to go back home.’

Jongdae looks doubly worried.

‘Hyung’s not-…I’m not feeling well,’ Minseok manages to explain, ‘My aunt is uh, probably going to come over later today, I already spoke to her.’

Jongdae nods slowly, crumpling the used paper towels in one hand absentmindedly.

‘I know you said you know your limits,’ Jongdae says evenly, ‘But hyung…it’s not just today, are you sure you’re okay? Is something wrong?’

Minseok looks at Jongdae- really looks at him for a few seconds.

He knows he can’t tell them. It had nothing to do with their personal beliefs, and everything to do with their safety and the sanctity of their minds, of their being.

‘I’ve been stressed over some things, with family,’ Minseok tells him, ‘Uh- an old…relative of the family, has returned. Someone that has caused us a lot of problems. So I guess…my head is kinda…busy, I guess. Sleeping has been difficult, so I haven’t quite been able to rest.’ 

Jongdae can clearly tell Minseok is not telling him the full story but he accepts it nonetheless.

‘Working right now is actually distracting me, it’s helping out a lot, I feel like I can actually think- when I’m with you guys,’ Minseok tells him honestly. It gets him a small smile from Jongdae. ‘I guess, after all of last night, not sleeping too well, a kinda weird morning schedule and eating something quite heavy- my system just rejected it. I’ll feel better now.’

‘Like when you’re drunk and you throw up?’ Jongdae tilts his head a little to the side, his smile a little wider.

Minseok chuckles, sniffing wetly as he pats at his cool face a few times, ‘Yeah, something like that. Ugh, I hate throwing up.’

Jongdae laughs a little, eyes crinkling.

‘For today, I’m just saying,’ he adds as he too washes his hands quickly, ‘You don’t have to come in with the cameras, I know you’re tired- just monitor us with the audio. For the rest of the tour, just sit back.’

‘I’ll see,’ Minseok smiles as he hands Jongdae a few paper towels.

‘Okay let’s go- Baekhyun is probably nearly crying from agitation.’ Jongdae grins, wrapping his arm around Minseok’s shoulders as they walk out of the restroom. The door shuts behind them but not before it screams at him-

‘_WAITING-!’_

Baekhyun is a nervous agitated mess definitely close to tears. His exhale of relief makes everyone in the store stare at him. Their server comes to check in on them, clearly worried Minseok would blame their food for food poisoning or something. Minseok explains he already had an upset stomach and did not blame them the slightest.

They stop at a convenience store to pick up antacids and water. Baekhyun doesn’t let go of his arm as Jongdae looks up the closest clinic in the area. Minseok lets them shuttle to the closest clinic, just down the street in fact, and in there Minseok is given hydration salts and medication for cramps and nausea. A large figure shadows him in the glass reflections of the medicine display cabinets around the store, just out of sight- just out of form. Minseok ignores it.

‘It’s like you’re pregnant!’ a still worried hysterical Baekhyun declares.

Jongdae decides to take control of the car and Minseok gives in and settles in the backseat. Next to him, stuffed and leaking black shadows like soot is _it_. Minseok ignores it again.

The drive up to the school and Jongdae parks carefully, tongue sticking out a little as he does so. Minseok’s whole body feels a little numb, and also like he has pins and needles running at a low frequency under his skin. If he didn’t know better, he would think he was definitely catching something.

‘Hyung, don’t carry the heavy things, we’ve got this,’ Baekhyun tells him firmly before he gets out of the car.

Both Jongdae and Baekhyun get out of the car and before Minseok can react or understand what was happening, the doors slam shut and Minseok knows he’s locked in. He has his back turned to the inside of the car, feels tendrils of shadows wrap around him like a hug- but it’s oppressive, and the stench is back and Minseok swallows hard.

Exhaling slow and sitting up straight, Minseok defiantly unlocks the door with a firm clicking sound and steps out into the sun. But the shadow gets out with him, hovering now, directly behind him.

‘Okay we got everything,’ Jongdae smiles at him as he carefully lowers the hood of the trunk. ‘Just take it easy hyung.’

Minseok can only nod.

Getting permission to film at the school was even more complicated than when they had to process permission papers and permits for filming at the DK Hostel. But Jongdae had smoothed that process within an hour where he amiably spoke to over 5 different people, rapidly sent off emails all prewritten, and cinched their permission with smooth enviable ease. They submit their printed letters of approval and permission from the administration to the school guards who give them “guest” lanyards. They enter the main school building, slightly empty during the weekend though Minseok can hear the occasional laughter, scraping of chairs, and footsteps echo about the place of students participating in club meetings and other similar activities.

‘Schools all smell the same,’ Jongdae sighs.

‘Unsolved Vlogs!’ a happy cheer goes across the hallway and suddenly there’s too many teenagers.

Their sheer energy is overwhelming. As is their height.

‘Oh wow-‘ Jongdae manages to get out when Baekhyun loudly cheers with them.

‘Aye it’s Seventeen!’

‘Guys let’s greet our friends!’ one of them proclaims. A few of them were in their school uniforms, but almost half were in casual clothing and looked older than the others too. Minseok guesses they’re the seniors, still helping with the drama clubs and theater activity.

‘Seventeen right here!’ they chorus loudly, and in harmony. Minseok belatedly notices they’re all wearing name-tags tied to their chests. They must have been rehearsing.

‘Damn, we should have something like that too!’ Baekhyun exclaims delightedly, turning to the two of them, ‘Guys- what should we-‘

‘No,’ Jongdae says firmly with a comic frown.

‘Boo!’ Baekhyun scoffs, making everyone laugh.

‘It’s so nice to meet you all,’ Minseok smiles at them, ‘It’s odd though, being back at school.’

‘You wouldn’t believe it, but he’s our hyung,’ Baekhyun butts in, thumbing at Minseok’s direction.

Everyone gives him a wide look of awe and shock.

‘Oh before we start, I need these to be signed by the staff here?’ Jongdae holds up the papers he printed, ‘And I need a Mr. Choi Seungcheol, Mr. Lee Jihoon, and a Mr. Kwon Soonyoung to sign these too.’

There’s a loud and boyish chorus of ‘ooh’s and ‘aah’s that makes Minseok grin. The teenager who had greeted them loudly first, his name-tag informs Minseok that he’s…Hoshi? He lets out a whoop and slinging an arm around a very short boy, who despite his very young features, was not wearing a school uniform, and drags him forward. His name-tag reads Woozi. Then a tall teenager also steps forward, already extending a hand out to Jongdae to shake as he bows, has his name written as S.Coups and Minseok can see the confusion in Jongdae’s eyes, clearly unsure as to who he was addressing.

But the confusion is short lived as they merrily show Jongdae the way down the hallway.

‘Let us help you with your stuff!’ one of them steps forward. He has a sharp long nose, a very cheerful countenance, and was lanky and tall, ‘I’m Seokmin! Lee Seokmin! Nice to meet you!’

‘Hi-‘ both Baekhyun and Minseok begin but they’re drowned by a flurry of introductions.

‘I’m Kim Mingyu! Ehe, it’s nice to meet you!’ this teen is even taller, to Baekhyun’s obvious dismay as he cranes his head up to smile at the boy. He picks up the heaviest tripod stand easily.

‘I’m Boo Seungkwan!’ a cheery and somewhat mischievous looking teen states with a lot of energy. Minseok imagines he’s definitely in the singing part of the team with how clear and smooth his voice was. And loud. ‘There’s too many of us and we should get going! We can do introductions on the way there!’

There’s loud laughter and protests at Seungkwan’s words but everyone follows through.

‘Wow, this equipment is cool,’ a voice says close to Minseok. He looks young and excited.

‘I’m Lee Chan,’ he bows quickly and deeply before holding up one of the smaller satchels, ‘Why are these called dead-cats?’

‘Oh-,’ Minseok looks at the windjammer, ‘You know, I have no idea to be honest. I only ever call them windjammers.’

‘It’s such a depressing name,’ Chan frowns. He has a nice boyish face, and seems to have a remarkable bounce to his steps.

‘Do you guys use and operate camera equipment?’ Minseok inquires, ignoring the shadow that has seeped down through the cracks of the door, creeping up close just behind- not quite far, not too close.

‘Some of us do,’ someone else butts in. His hair is silky and long, tied away to a low pony-tail. ‘Yoon Jeonghan at your service, I was the one sending the emails.’

‘Oh, it’s nice to meet you. Thank you for being so clear and detailed.’ Minseok smiles (up) at him.

‘Not at all in fact-‘

‘Do you actually see ghosts?’

Suddenly up in his face is Chan again, eyes practically sparkling, ‘I just never believed in them before Wonwoo-hyung saw them and-‘ it’s like he reaches out into the void and pulls up a tall lanky (they were all so lanky what the heck-) teenage boy whose glasses slip down his nose. ‘-I know Wonwoo-hyung would never lie!’

‘Uh, hi, yeah, Jeon Wonwoo,’ he pushes up his glasses, smiling shyly and ducking his head quickly.

‘Ah, you’re our witness,’ Minseok smiles at the boy, pulling up energy to study the boy.

‘Uh yeah,’ Wonwoo seemed quite shy, his general demeanor not as energetic as the others around him, ‘But so did Myungho-hyung. And Hoshi too.’

He points to a tall boy Minseok hadn’t immediately noticed, walking just a little behind him. He smiles brightly at him, under his arm one of the tripods.

‘Xu Minghao, but the others call me Myungho.’

Minseok smiles and says in his best Mandarin, ‘It’s nice to meet you Minghao.’

Everyone falls about in loud ooh’s and aah’s again and someone is shoved? Pushed? Jumps? To his side. Another very tall boy as they step out into a connecting hallway. It’s nice and sunny out, and Minseok catches sight of some students clearly training out in the winter-dried grass of the sports fields outside.

‘Oh!’ the young boy declares with a lot of comedic stylization and a clearly purposefully awkward accent that sets everyone laughing again, ‘Such beautiful words this early in the day! I, Wen Junhui, am delighted!’

Minseok laughs. So does the shadow lurking at their feet.

‘But do you see ghosts? Actual ones? Like, the spirit-box, is that really a genuine thing?’ one of them asks, eyes wide with obvious interest, walking backwards as well and addressing both him and Baekhyun who is overshadowed by the tall teens. ‘Oh, I’m Vernon, Choi Vernon. Hi!’

‘Well,’ Baekhyun begins. Minseok can’t see him but he can tell Baekhyun is smiling very hard, probably vibrating a little from the excitement he was getting off of the rowdy boys all around them. ‘As you might know, I believe that there are definitely things that cannot be explained- spirits, ghosts, demons- I believe they exist, in many forms, and shapes, and uh, manifest in different ways I suppose.’

All of the boys look at Baekhyun with a kind of stunned awe.

‘Do you think we can have American ghosts here?’ Mingyu asks with so much seriousness Minseok is not sure it’s meant to be a joke or not in all honesty.

‘For the last time, I do not have American ghosts following me around,’ a boy in the back declares with a sigh.

‘That’s Joshua,’ Jeonghan introduces for Minseok, ‘He’s from America. So we think if we see any foreign ghosts, it could be because of him.’

‘…I don’t think ghosts work like that?’ Minseok laughs.

‘What do we know of ghosts and their nature?’ Junhui remarks wistfully.

‘They’re murderous! Shakespeare-sunbae-nim says so!’ Seokmin declares with a lot of confidence.

‘You can’t just assume all ghosts are murderous because of _one _man, and _one _play he wrote about-‘ Joshua cries out as Wonwoo butts in and says with a kind of genuine desperation, ‘Guys! The ghost was not American!’

They open the doorways with a burst of laughter and onto a sort of gymnasium area that was clearly used more for storage than anything else.

The theater is in the second performance arts building, the entire ground floor dedicated only for the theater majors. They were entering through the back, so to speak. Also, it was most definitely haunted.

It’s tinged with sadness though- something Minseok was not expecting. It’s sad, and it’s lonely. It felt strangely innocent too. No malice, no hatred, no anger- just loneliness, some fear, and mostly, a lot of sadness.

Minseok tries not to notice how the shadow dissipates as they enter the place. At least for now, it wasn’t hounding him.

‘We thought you would appreciate filming on the stage itself, for the introductions,’ Jeonghan is telling him as the others clamber all around Baekhyun, all talking a mile a second. Even the quiet ones, Minseok notes, all have something to say. ‘Good sound, good lighting, and obviously, good backdrop!’

They hadn’t bothered with the extra lights today, seeing as Jeonghan had stated they would set up their lights for them.

‘Thank you,’ Minseok smiles at the teen, ‘You’re making our jobs much easier! We really appreciate it.’

‘Not at all,’ he smiles beatifically.

‘Here is our main theater!’ Seungkwan proclaims, grandly opening the heavy double doors to a studio theater. It’s impressive. Large, spacious, with high roofs and a 2 level seating system as well. The main stage is just a little raised, edged with teleprompters, 2 ramps, and the walls mounted with neatly boxed in and partially concealed speakers.

‘Wow,’ Baekhyun intones loudly, ‘You guys have a much better theater than we do and we’re a university!’

And it’s true actually.

But Minseok is instead distracted by the very obvious ghost of a young girl, maybe 12-13 years old, standing by the seats, looking straight at him. Her posture is odd, a little hunched as though anticipating something, hands over her chest, hands grasped. She seems startled, and then her whole face contorts in fear and she vanishes as she quickly backs away. Minseok can’t help but look behind him, worry and fear flooding him, his memory from the other night of the three ghouls being consumed flashing before his eyes.

Minseok cannot tell what type of spirit was here, but clearly it wasn’t malevolent or aggressive. If anything, Minseok could help the spirit possibly find rest and lead her if she was lost. But now he’s afraid. This thing was on him, and he brought it straight here.

A sudden jolt of panic overtakes him and Minseok feels the need to run.

‘Hey! We meet again!’ Jongdae merrily calls from the other side as the other doors across them opens with a flourish.

‘Seventeen right here!’ the one with the S.Coups name-tag proclaims brightly.

Everyone cheers back at him and Baekhyun is merrily cheering with them too.

‘Here, please look,’ Jeonghan is saying, gesturing to the stage area where they’ve set up two seats for Baekhyun and Jongdae, and only three other seats. ‘We decided, no one needs to see all of us at one go, so only the VIPs will be doing the interview. A few of us will head on to the audio rooms upstairs to handle the lights. Where would you like to set up the cameras?’

‘Oh uh-‘ Minseok can’t help but glance about wildly before saying quickly, ‘Can you show me to the restroom?’

‘Of course,’ Jeonghan replies smoothly before calling out, ‘Chan! Show our esteemed guests where the restrooms are!’

‘Got it!’ the youngest cheers, bouncing forward towards Minseok. ‘I’ll show you the way! Please follow me!’

Minseok ignores Baekhyun’s worried look as he follows after the young teen.

They head up to the walkway on each side of the theater and towards the doorways there. The restrooms are right there and Minseok thanks Chan, making sure the young teen is back when he shuts the door to the restroom and faces the empty men’s toilet.

‘Fuck,’ Minseok whispers, looking around and seeing nothing. Quickly he reaches into his pocket and it’s then that he realizes his phone is not on him. He knows for a fact he had secured it in his long jacket pocket. The pocket was protected with a buttoned flap. There was no way it could have fallen out.

‘_Who are you?’_

Minseok nearly jumps out of his skin.’

Theoretically he knows that under any other circumstances, he should be freaked out. The spirit of the girl is standing inside one of the partially open stalls, half of her face visible. She’s wearing some sort of night dress. It looks handmade, with large patchwork pockets on it. It’s covered in soot and charred in some places. Smoke and ash smudge her feet, and Minseok is aware of the smell of something burning.

Minseok crouches at once, making himself eye-level with the young spirit.

‘_There’s something else here,’ _she tells him.

‘I know, I know,’ Minseok is exhausted and afraid and panicked, ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I’ll take it away. Can you hide?’

She seems to perk up at that, stepping forward a little. Half her hair is chalked with ash and soot. There’s dark powdery smudges all around her nostrils and mouth. When she smiles, her teeth are blackened by the soot and ash. A trail of smoke follows her.

_‘I love playing hide and seek!’ _she declares. ‘_Sometimes, some people see me. Will you come find me?’_

‘Yes. Just stay hidden as best as you can, in the safest place you know here,’ Minseok pleads, ‘Okay? Make it super difficult!’

‘_Shouldn’t you hide too?’ _she asks, coming to do a small crouch in front of him as well. ‘_I think it hates you- it wants to hurt you.’_

‘I know,’ Minseok can feel sweat on the side of his face, he wipes at it quickly, ‘But I’ll be okay. Go do me a favour, and hide as best as you can, okay?’

She nods and quickly stands and runs out just as some tries to walk into the restroom.

‘Eh? Why’s it locked?’

Minseok hurriedly turns, composes himself and opens the door.

‘Oh!’ Seokmin and Joshua are there, ‘Hello!’

‘Hey, yeah, I wasn’t thinking and I locked the door,’ Minseok laughs it off. ‘Sometimes my brain switches off.’

‘I feel that,’ Seokmin nods earnestly.

Minseok steps out and to his horror, as though an active audience, the lurking spirit sits on the folded seats, just a little behind where a few of the young teens were already sitting. It’s hands are together, as though in anticipation. Minseok takes a deep breath and walks out.

‘Hyung!’ Jongdae waves as though Minseok can’t see him. ‘Everything has been set up so well for us! It’s like we don’t have to do anything!’

Minseok laughs.

‘You guys are amazing, but I’m worried you might have overworked,’ Baekhyun says.

‘Have no worries!’ Chan throws a fist up from where he’s risen to stand, the shadow eagerly lurking right over his shoulder, hands so close to touching him. ‘We have so much passion! Passion will drive you!’

‘You don’t have a driver’s license sit down.’ Minghao grabs him and forces him to sit down before shuddering and asking, ‘Did we not have the heater switched on? It’s freezing in here.’

‘We would never forget the heating for our special guests,’ Seungkwan exclaims at once, ‘You’re probably near a draft hyung.’

‘I was gonna ask too,’ Wonwoo puts in quietly but everyone hears him.

He has about 5 hot-packs thrown at him from various people.

Minseok guesses the reason why _it _was here right now was because it was interested in the three teens who initially saw the ghost. The little girl wanted to play with them, which was how they all had seen her. They had probably been seeking, or actively running around to hide. They had, as Kyungsoo would put it, a shine to them. Not strong enough to see- and anything they say would probably be written off as part of the crowd, a visual blur that blended with its surroundings, feeling cold when things were nearby, maybe even some senses being triggered like smell.

He’s sure that if asked, he would have a few people saying they smelt smoke in this theater.

They finish setting up very quickly actually. During this period they come to find that S.Coups was in fact Seungcheol, Woozi was Jihoon, and Hoshi was Soonyoung. Minseok guesses they have their personas as actors/performers at the theater and were known as such.

Soon, they’re all appropriately mic-d, new clothing items, even some makeup hastily thrown around, and Wonwoo, Soonyoung, and Minghao are all seated, hands politely above their knees. Jongdae and Baekhyun are also seated, and when Minseok gives them the go to sign, they begin.

Minseok takes a seat provided to him by an ever polite Jeonghan. The shadow hasn’t moved, just watching, hands rubbing together at the finger tips slowly. If Minseok concentrates, he can hear its strangely moist yet flaking skin rub against each other.

‘Hello everyone!’ Baekhyun says cheerily, ‘Welcome back to another episode of Unsolved Vlogs!’

There’s loud cheering from behind them. Minseok had set up one of their smaller cameras to shoot the literal behind the scenes footage of the other teens. It’s angled so that even the boys up in the audio/light booth could be seen. They’re aggressively waving their arms in response.

‘We are here at the BH-PE Performance School’s Theater for a very beguiling sighting!’ Jongdae continues, ‘Quite matching I would say, seeing as we are in a theater, and a spirit has been sighted, it’s like-‘

‘-the Phantom of the Opera!’ Baekhyun declares.

Unprompted, as though practiced for this very moment, from behind them, Seokmin stands and suddenly belts out an impressive line from said production.

Everyone breaks out into applause as Seungcheol and Jihoon try their best to reign in the others, yelling apologies for causing a ruckus. But Jongdae and Baekhyun are cheering him too.

‘Please do not encourage him,’ Jihoon pleads sincerely.

‘As you can see! There is no lack of talent here in this school,’ Baekhyun pumps his fist to more cheers. Once they’re able to calm down, they continue again.

‘So our good friends here invited us to investigate, will you please introduce yourselves?’ Jongdae gestures to the camera.

‘Hey guys!’ Soonyoung starts at once, his hands coming up to form? Paws? He’s removed his large name-tag, revealing a massive tiger face etched to the front of his sweater. He’s wearing a tiger-print beret as well. Minseok senses a pattern- literal and figurative. ‘It’s my time yeah, it’s Soonyoung or, y’all plebs will know me as Hoshi! Performer extraordinaire, and is he-’ he suddenly stands up, does a funny breakdance unprompted on the floor and finishes with a pose, staring straight at the camera, ‘-bothering you queen?’

He’s met with scoffs and cheers and a singular boo from Jeonghan. Neither Jongdae and Baekhyun seem to know how to react.

‘Hello,’ Minghao bows neatly in his seat, ignoring Soonyoung completely, ‘I’m Minghao, I’m a performer and lover of the arts.’

‘Uh, hi, I’m Jeon Wonwoo, it’s nice to meet you.’ Wonwoo bows as well.

No one breakdances unprompted after that and so Jongdae and Baekhyun continue forward.

‘Will you do us the honour of telling us what you guys witnessed?’

‘Laying the scene so to speak,’ Baekhyun adds.

‘Uh, well, I guess I’ll start,’ Wonwoo begins. ‘It was the end of the school term, and well, soon the hyungs won’t be around to help us out even as alumni. We had just finished a play, and it we hadn’t gotten around to cleaning things up yet, so we thought, let’s all have fun, and play hide and seek.’

Baekhyun gives the camera a confused smile.

‘So we had already played a few rounds, and I was looking for a place to hide. In the back, there’s a lot of storage rooms. There’s some that are pretty well secured, but we already agreed not to hide in those. So I was thinking of slipping into the supply room. There’s this small room next to the supply room, it’s not used a lot, just keeps old paper stuff really-‘

‘-it’s the recycling room!’ Jun yells from the seats.

‘Yeah, the recycling room,’ Wonwoo nods. ‘So it’s not the best place to hide, there’s just cupboards and drawers in there. So I’m walking past, and I just look in anyways, and I see what I thought was a mannequin sitting atop the lower drawers.

At first I thought, maybe Jeonghan-hyung placed it there to spook us or something-‘

‘-we wouldn’t be surprised if he did,’ Minghao deadpans.

‘Hey! I take offence to that!’ Jeonghan yells though he has a pleased look.

‘Jeonghan-hyung has the face of an angel but is really actually a demon,’ Soonyoung tells them casually.

‘Anyways, so I ignore it at first and go hide. I’m caught a while later, and the people who are caught all need to come back out here in the main studio. So Jeonghan-hyung was already here, and I asked him why he placed the mannequin on the drawer in the recycling room. He said he had no idea what I was talking about but-‘

‘-but we’re generally suspicious of Jeonghan-hyung so he didn’t believe him,’ Minghao tells them. Both Baekhyun and Jongdae squint to look at Jeonghan who leans back on the theater seat, legs coming up to cross on the head of the seat before him, reclining quite elegantly with a demure smile.

‘During that time I was also looking for a place to hide,’ Soonyoung continues the story, ‘And my tactic is to kinda follow the seeker, so I know where he is.’

‘Hey, nice tactic, I should use that more often,’ Jongdae says with approval.

‘Please don’t encourage him!’ someone yells, probably Seungkwan.

‘Yeah! I know right!’ Soonyoung’s legs bounce a little, ‘So I saw Joshua-hyung catching Wonwoo, and I wait until they’re at the end of the hallway and I go to hide where Wonwoo had been hiding. I walk past the recycling room, and I see the, well, mannequin I guess, inside. I kinda let out a curse because I’m spooked, but I’m already walking so I just, again, assume it’s something Jeonghan-hyung did.’

Again, both Baekhyun and Jongdae look at Jeonghan with bemusement.

‘Around the last round, it’s getting late at this point, so we’re kinda tired but also kinda hyper I guess,’ Minghao continues the story. ‘We’re not even trying to be quiet anymore, it’s more like aggressive tag at this point and all the hiders are just running around openly.’

There’s a collective huff of laughter from behind them, as though they all remembered exactly how it went down and how enjoyable it had been.

‘And I’m trying to find a good place to hide because someone ratted my position out,’ he sends a glare out somewhere and there’s a wheezing laughter from the culprit in the back. ‘And I’m about to enter the recycling room but then I see that someone’s inside it so I’m like, yeeting out again-‘

Jongdae quietly mouths _yeeting _to himself.

‘-and then I guess, the next day, was when shit went down?’ Minghao looks at the other two sitting next to him.

‘Yeah, so we asked Jeonghan-hyung again, about the mannequin.’ Soonyoung tells them, ‘But he’s like, all shifty and grinning and denying things and honestly it was going nowhere until Scoups hyung pointed out that we didn’t have a mannequin that looked like that.’

‘Then there was a massive ruckus and we ALL trooped up to the recycling room, there was no mannequin, and we ran an inventory on the mannequins we had and none of them looked like the one we saw that night,’ Wonwoo says, ‘And it was like, we all had the same thought, but then-‘

‘-I said it had to be a ghost!’ Chan yells from where he’s sitting, ‘It’s the only explanation! We already have heard plenty of weird rumors! Like that time we found ash all around the floors of the stage!’

‘Oh yeah,’ Vernon pipes in, ‘Also when we’re sometimes sitting here, it’s like something’s touching our ankles, like a hand or something. I thought maybe someone was dicking around but-‘

‘-also-‘

But Minseok doesn’t catch what comes next.

There’s blurred movement and the smell of smoke is on him. A strange blob darts over the floors, shadows pulling around as though mocking and the little girl appears, running straight towards Minseok, blackened mouth stretched wide in a scream. She crouches next to him, shaking and scattering ash around them. Wonwoo sneezes and they all laugh as they bless him.

She huddles close to his legs, a cold wash floods him but it’s not an aching one. Minseok looks around him as casually as he can and _it _isn’t there. She’s crying under her breath.

‘-Jun-hyung and I were at the booth upstairs and we smelt smoke- not cigarette smoke but like, just really thick smoke,’ Seokmin is telling them.

‘Yeah we all thought they were displaying signs of a stroke but-‘ Jeonghan teases.

‘PSA time!’ Jongdae suddenly announces, ‘Smelling smoke or toast is NOT a sign of a stroke! This is just some random thing people believe in but medically there’s no basis to it!’

‘Oh-‘

‘Besides, smelling toast would just be divine, wouldn’t it hyung?’ Baekhyun grins at him.

Minseok is worried his response is late but he gives it anyway. His eyes can barely focus on the small camera monitor.

‘Oh, absolutely.’

The little girl is gripping onto his trousers, ash covering the area around him.

‘I guess that can conclude this part of the interview,’ Baekhyun is saying, nodding once at Minseok and looking to Jongdae.

‘Yeah, though I have a question,’ Jongdae frowns, looking at them, ‘If you’re called Seventeen, why aren’t there 17 of you-‘

There’s an uproar of groans and cries and everyone bursts out into laughter a few seconds later. The little girls high pitched cries mixing in.

‘_It’s coming.’ _She cries out and vanishes, the odour of smoke strong.

Minseok is panicking and he knows he’s not doing a good job of pretending to be normal. Because Baekhyun is instantly on him.

‘Hyung? You’re sweating, and you look super pale,’ Baekhyun looks over him worriedly. ‘And don’t say anything about the shoot today. I refuse to hear it.’

Minseok quickly takes him to the side, not wanting to draw the attention of the young teens around them, all talking about. Baekhyun must be able to tell because he pretends to be fixing his mic pack with Minseok at once. Jongdae is there too, mic pack in hand as well.

‘What’s wrong? Hyung, you look terrible- are you okay?’

‘I uh- I don’t feel so good,’ Minseok tells them, ‘I’ll rest in the car.’

‘I’ll walk you,’ Baekhyun frowns as Jihoon and Jeonghan approach them, both having caught on that something was up.

‘Hey guys, we’re gonna take a short break,’ Jongdae is telling them, stepping a bit to the side, ‘Minseok-hyung hasn’t been feeling well the whole day.’

‘Yeah, I’m sorry,’ Minseok says with what he hopes is a reassuring smile, barely able to look Baekhyun or Jongdae in the eye.

‘No, what? Hyung,’ Jongdae frowns, picking up on his strained tone.

‘I think the nurse should still be there,’ Jihoon pipes in as the others from the second floor come down. ‘Maybe you could rest there?’

Once it’s said, Minseok knows Jongdae and Baekhyun won’t budge unless he goes to the nurse.

So he’s taken to the nurses office by Baekhyun, Seungcheol, and Chan. Minseok and Baekhyun had explained it as a weird stomach flu. Both the teens gave him sympathetic looks that are painfully genuine.

The nurse is a matronly looking middle-aged lady who has probably seen too much and barely makes any comments as Minseok is made to rest on the narrow bed. She stirs him up some electrolyte and Baekhyun watches as he eats the medicine they bought at the clinic. The matron brings a hot-water pack to place over his abdomen, wrapped in a towel. She also brings a blanket to cover him with.

‘We’ll be back soon hyung,’ Baekhyun tells him, ‘Please rest okay?’

Minseok nods. He doesn’t need to act like he’s resting. Reclining back on this bed was absolutely wonderful and it’s taking all of his strength not to give in. He couldn’t. Ash still clung to the fabric of his pants and Minseok cannot allow what happened yesterday to repeat again.

He waits a whole 10 minutes after they leave before he gets up and asks the nurse where the restroom is. She directs him down the hall, a knowing look on her face as though she knew he was going to bolt. He gives her a sheepish smile.

Minseok can feel his pulse on his skin in a way that reminded him of a low-grade fever. His bones were aching, the soles of his feet incredibly sensitive and painful. He tracks his way back towards the theater. He pauses at the entrance, listening closely. He looks around the place absentmindedly, noting how the sun was low in the sky now the shadows on the grounds long and darkening. The outdoor lights have already been switched on and the air is much colder now. His mind reeling with too many thoughts and at the same time nothing made sense to him. With difficulty, he pushes the door open and enters the same wide space being used as storage.

‘Miss? Are you here?’ he calls out quietly, eyes scanning the place as best as he could.

He hears nothing. He’s thinking of maybe doubling back to enter the building from the other entrance, avoiding the others that way. But just as he turns about there’s a scratching sound right above him.

Whipping his head up, Minseok finds himself face to face with an expanding blackness above him, drooping down like some great force pushing through a net of shadowy webs and in that bulk of force, a pair of eyes-

Minseok falls, his feet giving way. A sharp pain shoots up his left wrist up to his shoulder as he braces himself but he can only stare.

‘_…meeting again-‘_

Minseok can’t breathe, he can’t move.

It was back. It came back and Minseok should have known he should have been more careful he should have-

‘_…play again…’_

It overwhelms Minseok, now blanketing him in darkness and Minseok is floating and yet weighed down, like he was falling. But he can’t- he won’t. He couldn’t. He tries to move but he’s too restricted too exhausted too-

‘_-missed you-‘_

There’s sudden eruption of light and Minseok falls, spinning in the process but he doesn’t feel himself hitting the ground or anything. There’s a roaring rush of sounds- a horrible gale blows all around him, static like screams erupting all around him, _at _him. Anger, fear, _hatred- _Minseok finds himself slipping into unconsciousness against his will. He can see it now, the layout of that old familiar room, a place he had purposefully forgotten, a place he no longer dreamt of now but he was there again and the bed is there and so is _it-_

‘-_fucking fuck-!_’ a voice curses, ‘How the fuck are you heavier than you look?!’

Minseok is barely able to gather enough willpower to open his eyes. He’s being half-carried, half dragged. They’re outside?

‘Fuck,’ the voice grumbles again, ‘-should really do weight training-‘

‘Who- who are you?’ Minseok barely manages to push himself off of this stranger. Looking about with spinning vision, Minseok realizes the stranger was dragging him across the car park in the fading daylight. Minseok staggers, barely able to stand upright but he cannot let some stranger just take off with- well, with his own person. It wasn’t even that dark out yet and he was not going to allow someone to kidnap him so easily like this.

The stranger is quick to hold his hands up to his chest as though to say he’s not a threat.

‘Hey, hey, it’s okay, you were passed out and your shadowy buddy was about to eat you up-‘

‘What?!’ Minseok gets out, vision clearing just a little.

The stranger is tall and slender. His hair is a carefully dyed light blonde. He’s not wearing a whole lot of layers, just a long coat like robe- almost as though he’d thrown his clothes on haphazardly.

Minseok is a second too late in realizing he’s falling backwards. He lands heavily and the stranger is on him at once, pillowing his head with his hand.

‘Woah, you’re okay now, I’ve got you now-‘

This is doing nothing to help Minseok feel better but he’s so _exhausted_.

‘You’re lucky your aunt could track your location,’ he says. He smells clean, like sea salt and sage. He smells safe. ‘You can sleep if you want, I’ve got you protected for the moment.’

‘What-?’ Minseok asks in a daze, his vision swimming, darkness slowly dissipating and instead there’s a gentle but warm light- almost like morning sunlight. Minseok feels the cold sores ebbing from aching bones. His nausea is dissipating and his head no longer felt like lead.

The stranger simply smiles, eyes briefly sparkling as though lit from within. Minseok only just realizes, very belatedly, how his very being seemed to glow.

‘My name is Lu Han,’ he introduces himself with a small wink, ‘Ahn Sohee sent me.’

*

DaeDroid: _Oh to be young and full of energy_

minghaoFrogagenda_: No but seriously why are they called Seventeen when they have only 13 members??? _

167 is average height: _Istg at this point tjey’re editing the footage right? I keep seeing thos fuckign orb eyes randomly please can anyone else see them or am I going crazy???_

GrimArtandStuff: _LMAO THEY’RE SO CHAOTIC OMG_

Im Just A Kidult in a Capitalist World: _I HAVE BEEN TO THEIR MUSICAL BEFORE THAT GUY WHO BELTED PHANTOM OF THE OPERA CAN SING LIKE THAT FOR A REASON, HE PLAYS ARTHUR IN KING ARTHUR HE’S FUCKING AMAZING_

Bocchann: _I don’t see the eyes a few people have mentioned but I see? I dunno, something blurred moving once a while in their videos. I thought it might have been a video thing or camera thing but when I showed it to my buddy they didn’t notice what I pointed out so I too have questions_

_Gen-Z’s are a whole different breed they’re literally speaking in memes, tiger boy there is a living meme_

Mareete: _Low-key, just saying, if even ONE person said they saw the ghost of a young girl lingering on top of some office drawer I would genuinely gtfo. I wouldn’t need 3 of my bros and a youtube paranormal investigative team to tell me somethings up_

Pixel Me Good: _Is it just me or that kid, uhh Hoshi, or uh, Soonyoung? Have way too many tiger motifs on him_

Indigo_salad: _Shakespeare-sunbaenim…I need to let that sink in for a moment. Also why do we even need mannequins in the first place._

HideoKojimaIsMyDad: _Why was the ghost hunting scene only shot from their GoPros? Was Minseok not there?_

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _@_ HideoKojimaIsMyDad:_\- Minseok was there for sure. Baekhyun called him at one part during the introduction interview part._

ThisisKahi: _Omg! My old highschool! And yeah! That building was notorious! People kept saying it was haunted and not in the token-haunted-location kinda way but like, genuinely, the cleaning staff and guards used to talk about it too. I see they’ve changed quite a bit of things but it still looks the same! Its so good to see the juniors taking such good care of the place even during after school._

Today is March 89: _That little behind the scenes extra at the end of all of them talking over each other but completely understanding each other is the level of communication we need in this world to obtain world peace_

Baguette Au Pain_: Why does this Jeonghan guy look like he would cause problems on purpose_

Orange Is A Caramel: _MY ALUMNI HIGHSCHOOL! _

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _this was chaotic_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Notes)
> 
> SEVENTEEN RIGHT HERE!!!!!!!!!!  
Did I just make Sohee from Wonder Girls Minseok’s aunt? You bet I did.  
ALSO AYO LOOK IT’S LUHAN  
And I’ve been inspired to wrte this chapter with seventeen ever since their horror episode in GoSe where wonwoo minghao and Hoshi saw the same “mannequin” even though there was none in the footage or any female actors participating in the show. I was like, well, how perfect!  
Also I just think it’d be perfect to have them on an episode like this haha  
As its October I wanna write more for this but let’s see how things go!   
Been unexpectedly busy this month and the last one too, haven’t had the chance to sit but decided I should write at least 400-500 words a day and here I am now  
This chapter is a bit long as I have  
13 extra members to put into the narrative in a cohesive manner but then again, have seventeen every been cohesive in their shows  
Nopes  
Also ilove it when k-idols call foreign figures “-sunbaenim”   
I know it’s politeness but I can’t help but find it funny, like when Hyelin from EXID said ‘voldemort sunbaenim’ I think I cried  
Also speaking of crying, I watched Haunting of Bly Manor and let me tell you when I said I was sobbing hysterically it wasn’t scary like the first season, in fact, I would hardly call Bly Manor scary. Spooky, sure, and thrilling, but not actually scary. And GOD the romance in it. I am DECEASED! Highly recommend!!!  
FUCK ALL OF THAT  
I WROTE THAT AUTHOR’S NOTE WAY BEFORE I AM POSTING IT   
JONGDAE  
His song broke my heart when I heard it I cannot express how much it hurt me, somehow the lyrics resonated so deeply with how I feel about him with everything that’s been going on I am just  
Guys  
I really wish, like he says, i desperately hope that he’ll be well, and I am not saying goodbye in any way or form, this is still a hello, and will always be a hello  
A long, beautiful, and beloved hello


	23. Unsolved Vlogs Special Episode: The Haunting of the Not-White-House

Minseok’s earliest memory is a hazy stretch of road, just recently smooth out with dark gravelly tar, the heat of summer damp and humid around him, the sun shining through the leaves of a great tree high above him. He’s holding his mum’s hand, walking back home with her from the market.

Or at least that’s the answer he gives when asked about his earliest memory.

His earliest memory is in fact from when he was much younger than that particular example.

Minseok’s actual earliest memory from his childhood is from when he’s 4 years old.

He had learnt how to sleep on his own bed, and had been a very good boy, not throwing a fuss or making demands for snuggles. He enjoyed being able to sprawl his limbs out, having a whole soft pillow to mush his face on. He felt very grown up. He would soon start school too – his pretty and fun aunt told him how proud and excited she was for him. Minseok could already identify his alphabets and numbers, he was very eager to start school and become just as smart and fun like his aunt!

But one night, he woke up because he felt hungry. It didn’t happen often, and normally Minseok slept it right off. But his stomach was growling- just as loud as the thunder and rain outside. Minseok’s not sure if it was his stomach, the storm, or something else that woke him up that night- but he awoke, and he knew he couldn’t go back to sleep.

Minseok likes to think it could be because up until a week ago, his aunt who had been staying over with her sister and brother in law, used to sneak midnight snacks with him every other night. Maybe it was a cool grown up habit. So Minseok slips out of his bed, bare feet barely making a sound as he pads across his own big boy room and opens the door. The small hallway doesn’t have a light, but the dining room does.

His childhood home wasn’t very large. It was a flat with two bedrooms, 2 washrooms, a kitchen with dining connected, and a living room with a balcony where Minseok’s mum hung out the laundry. Minseok makes his way to the living room, watching the curtained covered windows with sleepy awe as lightning flashed across in bright bursts of light.

He doesn’t know why there are people standing outside of the windows, pressed up so close to the glass. He’s a little worried, mostly sleepy, maybe they were seeking shelter from the storm? It must be terrible outside- and scary. Minseok would hate to be outside right now. He hopes that these people will find some form of shelter soon. Maybe if his parents were here, they would allow them to come inside.

He walks to the kitchen and goes to the fridge. Maybe he can find some leftovers! It would be cold, but Minseok didn’t mind too much. He would eat just a little, so that he wouldn’t get an upset tummy. The fridge is humming quietly and when he opens it, Minseok shivers a little because it’s chilly. He finds the Tupperware of fried rice his mother had made for dinner and carefully, quietly, takes it out. He does his best to be quiet so that he doesn’t wake up his parents as he retrieves a spoon. He manages to get a fork instead, but it was okay, because he was also good at using those! He climbs up on his special chair, careful so that he doesn’t slip, and places the Tupperware on the table before him.

He watches the figures outside of the window, shifting every once in a while every time lightning struck. Minseok is confused, but they were not knocking, so maybe they didn’t want to come inside.

Minseok has a couple of forkful of the fried rice before closing the Tupperware again. If he purposefully picked at the bits of sausages then no one had to know. He puts back the Tupperware into the fridge and wipes his fork with the kitchen towel before placing it back in the spoon drawer. That way no one would know! He gulps down some water first, even though he’s tempted to drink the juice. But he won’t because he knows his mum would notice.

Walking back to his room, Minseok looks back at the windows and to his surprise no one is there anymore. Instead, there’s a figure sitting on one of the chairs- a chair his dad normally sat on. Feeling immediately guilty that maybe his dad caught him, Minseok ducks his head down, hands coming to fold in front of him, expecting a scolding.

Instead he walks up to Minseok, a hand pressing down on the top of his head in a gentle manner. His hands are cold, so maybe his dad had been watching him for a long while and Minseok just didn’t notice. Minseok feels the hand guiding him around back to his bedroom so he simply walks ahead back to his bedroom. His parents door is still locked though.

Minseok walks back and climbs up into his bed. The faint light of the dining room glows through his doorway, so he can’t quite see his dad. He’s just an outline, a kinda shadowy form in the dimness of his bedroom.

His dad also looks incredibly tall- hunched over a lot as he tucks Minseok back into bed.

‘I’m sorry,’ Minseok says, ‘I was hungry.’

Minseok doesn’t know why, but he can tell his dad is smiling at him. Maybe he wasn’t mad then. So with his pale and strangely large hands, his dad brushes back his hair gently. Minseok shivers; his hands were colder than before.

‘Goodnight,’ he mumbles, the warmth of his blankets making him drowsy.

He feels a weight settle down as though his dad sat down on his bed. The cold fingers don’t stop stroking his hair until he falls asleep.

‘_MINSEOK!’_

He jolts awake as a car door shuts.

‘Hyung,’ Jongdae’s worried face looms up close to him, ‘Hey, sorry to wake you. The nurse said you left, so we assumed you came back to the car.’

Minseok is disoriented and though the immediate fatigue is somewhat quelled, he’s still feeling weak and jittery, like he just recovered from an intense bout of fever.

There’s a warm soft hand on his forehead, contrasting strongly from the cold pale hands that had been stroking his hair-

He bolts up straight, breath caught in his throat in a high gasp.

‘Woah!’ Jongdae exclaims, leaning back. ‘Hyung, it’s okay-‘

Everything floods back into his mind.

He had tried to get back, to find the girl, but he had- _it _had been there, waiting for him. And then there was light- something warm, something _powerful_\- and his name-…his name was Lu Han? His aunt had sent him, or had that been his imagination?

‘Hyung, hey, you’re okay,’ Jongdae is close again. That’s when Minseok realizes he’d been asleep in the passenger side of his car, the seat pushed back to let him recline. How did he get in here?

‘Should we take you to the hospital?’

‘Oh my god, hyung your phone was in the trunk no wonder we couldn’t reach you-‘ he hears Baekhyun’s voice coming from the back outside.

‘Baek, I think we should detour to the hospital first,’ Jongdae says. He’s using his worried serious tone of voice and Baekhyun’s immediate response is to rush up to Minseok.

‘Fuck,’ he curses under his breath as he looks at Minseok. ‘Hyung- did you pass out?’

‘Stay with hyung, I’ll pack up the things,’ Jongdae is saying.

Baekhyun leans in, balancing himself over Minseok as he quickly undoes the first buttons of his shirt.

‘This is not how I thought I would ever undress you hyung,’ he grins.

Minseok can’t even respond. He’s heavily disoriented and his body feels like lead. Baekhyun’s attempt at a joking smile slips from his face at his lack of response.

‘Jongdae you done?’ he calls instead.

‘Yeah! Secure hyung,’ Jongdae replies.

But Minseok feels like the whole car is turning over, the dark sky outside twisting and whirling around him to settle into the dim of his bedroom.

He’s woken up by that same hand again. Brushing through his hair. Minseok’s back is to the door, so the hand creeps down back of his head, scratching at his scalp with cold finger tips. But Minseok is tired, he wants to sleep. And every time he’s about to sleep again, the hands come back to brush through his hair.

Irritated, Minseok sleepily flips around on his bed, curling up his knees in hopes of maybe kneeing his dad and hinting at him to stop these random nightly visits. He always makes a mental note to tell his dad in the morning but he never remembers to.

The touches stop.

Relieved, Minseok is about to fall asleep when a hand shoves down with deadly force onto his pillow right behind his head and a chilling rush of cold breath washes over his ear, cold lips just barely touching his lobes. A wet sound, a tongue licking at the side of a mouth, preparing to speak, preparing to say-

‘Yeah, of course, it’s no problem. Yes, he’s doing well. The doctors said he just needs rest.’

Jongdae is talking quietly, clearly on the phone. Minseok can immediately tell they’re in a hospital. And it’s because Minseok hates hospitals. There’s too many voices, too many shadows, too many restless panicked eyes, too much pain, too much sorrow.

And he was too weak to really push it all out. His ears feel raw, sound piercing too sharp and yet too dull. His eyes burn even in the soft light. It’s chillingly cold before he realizes he’s on a bed, a drip connected to his arm –one source of the cold, and a few faded figures asleep in a haze of pain above him- the primary source of the cold.

He breathes in purposefully, and exhales out slowly. The huddled figures are no longer there, and Minseok can breathe a little more easy. This causes Jongdae, who was sitting quite close, looking down at his phone with a thoughtful worried expression on his face that even his mask couldn’t cover, to look up. The curtains are drawn all around them, only a soft light from the square of ceiling light to his left illuminating the place.

‘Hyung?’

He quietly leans over him, relief in his eyes.

Minseok finds that he’s feeling much better than before. The more he wakes up, the better he feels. Now the cold is centered is only on his hand where the drip was feeding him a clear liquid.

Jongdae exhales an obvious sigh of relief.

It’s late, Minseok can tell.

‘Dae-‘ he manages to croak out.

‘Yeah, hey, I’m here,’ Jongdae says quietly. They’re probably still in the emergency ward, where Jongdae and Baekhyun must have brought him.

‘Baekhyun’s gone to get us some snacks,’ he explains. His hand is warm on Minseok’s skin and it’s grounding. ‘Are you awake?’

‘Hm?’ Minseok frowns, trying to move his head a little. ‘Yeah? Why?’

‘You woke up a few times earlier, but you weren’t responding,’ Jongdae says quietly, shifting forward closer, ‘Freaked Baekhyun out.’

‘What happened?’ he asks, managing to turn his head around a little to a better angle.

‘The doctor said it was dehydration, fatigue, and possibly a stomach bug,’ Jongdae tells him before pointing to his face, ‘They said we should wear this just in case, but they don’t think it’s that Covid thing.’

‘Oh.’

‘Hyung,’ Jongdae frowns as he leans in a little closer again, ‘Is everything all right?’

Minseok’s not sure how long he pauses before he replies, ‘I’ve had some things going on- family stuff. It’s been stressful I guess.’

Jongdae makes a small expression- one that Minseok can’t quite translate.

‘Your aunt called, I answered and she said she’s on her way here, but she’ll probably only get here in the morning. She said she’ll be waiting for you at your place.’ Jongdae relays.

‘Oh,’ relief floods Minseok. ‘That’s…-yeah, that’s good. We can talk things out.’

He notices how terrible his mouth taste. ‘Can I have some water or something?’

Jongdae nods quickly and reaches for the side table where there’s a bottle of water and some straws.

‘The doctor said you can leave later in the morning,’ Jongdae tells him, ‘Your blood pressure was super low. So they’re keeping you on this drip- it’s your second one by the way.’

‘Ugh,’ Minseok manages to groan after he swallows some gulps of water. He already feels better.

‘The nurse will come check in on you-,’ Jongdae looks at his phone quickly, ‘-in about an hour or so. To ask you some questions and stuff. Hyung, did you hit your head anywhere or anything?’

‘No,’ Minseok replies with a slight wince as he tries to sit up. Jongdae is there to help him sit up. ‘I’m sorry for you worrying you and Baekhyun like this.’

‘Hyung, you know we’re here for you right?’ Jongdae tells him with a serious voice, ‘If you need to…need to let loose, rant or complain, we’re here. No judgment, no nothing- we’re here for you.’

‘Yeah,’ Minseok manages a smile as he sits up. Jongdae activates the bed to tilt up, folding the slightly limp pillow in half to better support him. There’s a small heater by the side of the bed, Minseok notices. ‘If my aunt is going to be there, I’ll talk to her about what’s been happening. I think we need to discuss some things.’

Jongdae doesn’t push it, only nodding, worry etched on his face. There’s some slight shuffling sounds and Baekhyun appears, pushing aside the curtains quietly. His expression brightens a little as he sees Minseok sitting up.

‘Hyung, oh my god,’ Baekhyun looks like he might actually cry.

‘Hey- sorry for worrying you-‘ Minseok begins but the younger man just drops the convenience bag of snacks on the foot of his bed and engulfs him in a gentle but tight hug.

‘It’s so good to see you up,’ Baekhyun’s voice is a little weak, ‘Nearly lost my shit.’

‘You lost your shit,’ Jongdae snorts, sitting back on his chair with the bag of snacks.

‘Do you need to pee?’ Baekhyun asks seriously, ‘We need to note that, the nurses told us that!’

‘I don’t think so- not yet.’ Minseok huffs out a tired laugh. He’s tired again, but not in the way he was earlier. This time it’s more familiar, more natural. ‘Maybe later.’

Minseok falls asleep again, but it’s a light dreamless sleep and Minseok feels rested even though it’s only for 4-5 hours. He wakes up when the nurse comes in to check on his blood pressure and take the needle off of his arm. She asks him a few questions and Minseok replies quietly, not wanting to wake up Jongdae or Baekhyun who were snoozing against each other on the chairs they had acquired some time ago.

It’s silent just before the morning schedule, and Minseok feels almost entirely like himself.

That other man. Lu Han. He was…he was extraordinarily powerful. Minseok could tell. Where was he now? He had put Minseok inside the car- and then? Minseok frowns at the thought of the little girl. He wishes he could go back but maybe he’ll talk to his aunt about it when he sees her later today.

Minseok is discharged around 8 in the morning. He’s given medication for nausea, a list of foods to avoid, a list of foods to eat, and a firm warning against alcohol. It makes Jongdae and Baekhyun laugh.

They’re very careful and overly gentle with Minseok which makes him laugh in turn. Jongdae drives again and the drive back is quiet but in a comfortable way. It’s a nice sunny morning, and when the light hits the glass of the window, Minseok recognizes faint outlines of wards.

Minseok had messaged his aunt when they had pulled out of the hospital, and he messages her again as they pull into his apartment complex. They have to pause a while as a moving van pulls out of the driveway.

She’s waiting for them at the lounge area of the entryway into the complex. There’s some staff about the place as well, taking in moving boxes and pushing them onto trolleys. Her hair is longer than Minseok last saw her. Her bangs have grown out, parted to the side and pulled away neatly tied into a simple and clean bun on the base of her neck. She’s dressed in a flowy cream skirt that looks much too thin for this weather, and a large knitted sweater that was probably nowhere near thick enough for the weather.

‘Oh my god,’ is what Baekhyun and Jongdae say together when they see her.

There was no mistaking the family resemblance. Ahn Sohee was often mistaken for Minseok’s older sister. Sohee was only 9 years older than Minseok, so sometimes people often mistook them for siblings- or worse, a couple.

‘The family resemblance is striking, I know,’ Minseok snorts as he waves at his aunt from the distance.

She waves brightly, cheeks pushing up and eyes turning into thin crescents.

‘You guys have the same smile this is creepy,’ Jongdae sounds uncomfortable.

Snorting, Minseok leads them forward.

‘Hi aunt,’ he smiles as she walks up to them.

She’s a little shorter than him but somehow Minseok makes himself smaller than as he allows himself to be enveloped into a warm hug.

‘You look pale,’ she notes, holding his face in her hands, ‘What did the doctors say?’

Sohee was also an incredibly talented actress and is completely convincing as a worried relative coming to check on her nephew as he was apparently so bad at taking care of his health.

‘Good morning!’ Jongdae greets her, bowing low, followed shortly by Baekhyun, ‘Minseok-hyung collapsed from fatigue, dehydration, and possibly a stomach flu. But the hospital says he’s clear to come home. They have said he should rest and not exert himself for a week or so and prioritize his recovery.’

‘You’re Minseok’s friends!’ she bows back to them, ‘I watch all of your episodes on YouTube! It’s so nice to meet you both finally!’

Neither Jongdae nor Baekhyun, with their tired and sleep deprived minds, seem to be able to quite know how to answer, unable to get over the striking similarities between the aunt and nephew.

‘Come in come in! I made breakfast for all of us!’

‘Oh but uh-‘ Jongdae snaps out of it.

‘Absolutely not,’ Sohee takes Minseok’s arm into her own, pulling him against herself. Her hands are cool on his skin and Minseok feels so much better. ‘You stayed with Minseok at the hospital, and I’m betting no breakfast right? Right, come along!’

There were 4 elevators in Minseok’s complex, and 2 were actively being used by the moving crew. They pile in inside the first free elevator they get as Sohee fusses over him. Minseok just makes note of how fast his aunt has worked. The wards in the elevator are renewed and strengthened. And when they step out into his floor, Minseok realizes the stark contrast between the last time he walked down here and how it was now. The wards have been replaced entirely, and Minseok sees the ashy remains of the corrupted ones- cleansed and fading. A warning to anything trying to step through.

‘Oh, you’re getting a new neighbour,’ Baekhyun remarks as he looks down the opposite hallway. ‘I hope they’re not noisy while you try to recover.’

His door is similarly treated. Inside is the same, if not doubled. Minseok catches glimpses of powerful wards set up all around. Wards he doesn’t recognize, wards he hasn’t learnt or studied; a few were definitely foreign. It hums of peace and safety and Minseok could crumple onto his blessedly clean floors.

Sohee talks merrily as she ushers them to sit at Minseok’s table, remarking how perfect it was that Minseok had 4 chairs in total. She serves them fresh hot rice, eggs, and a wide assortment of side dishes Minseok is 100% sure his mum made.

‘You’re not allowed to have anything spicy,’ Sohee warns him, ‘Just the green stuff.’

‘Yes aunt,’ Minseok grumbles, retracting his chopsticks from the bowl of kimchi.

Baekhyun snickers under his breath.

Sohee keeps a light conversation going, asking Jongdae and Baekhyun about what they studied, did they enjoy it, were they eating well, warning them not to drink just because they were young, if they had partners, to always have gingko extracts as a supplement, and avoid ginger to prevent overheating.

They leave after insisting on washing up the dishes and promises to come tomorrow to take care of the equipment and stuff.

It’s quiet after they leave.

‘You want to shower first?’ Sohee asks as she looks around at him from the doorway.

Minseok nods.

He takes an extremely long hot shower (keeping the vent on yes, he has no intentions of passing out in the shower), and feeling clean and refreshed, Minseok is ready to nap. But Sohee is there, sitting on his desk chair, clearly waiting for him.

‘So.’ She begins, ‘I redid all of your wards; I can’t believe you didn’t notice they were corrupted.’

‘Thank you-‘

‘-also can’t believe you didn’t realize you were being possessed,’ she says flatly. ‘Lu Han said he had to perform an exorcism on you.’

That would explain why he felt like shit.

‘It wasn’t complete- the possession wasn’t a normal one,’ Sohee continues to explain. ‘This wasn’t just some force trying to use you, this was personal. Wasn’t it?’

Minseok sits heavily on his bed with a quiet sigh.

‘Is Lu Han around? I wanted to ask him about the spirit that was there,’ Minseok says instead as he rubs his ears with the towel.

‘No,’ Sohee replies after a while.

‘Who is he?’

‘Lu Han is a friend,’ she explains, ‘I met him when I was travelling in China. He’s here to study.’

‘Ah,’ Minseok sighs, fiddling with the towel for a while before Sohee takes it from him. She steps out for a while to hang it up and returns with a tray. There’s two cups and Minseok’s electric kettle. She connects it up next to his bed and fiddles about with some teabags.

Minseok sits back on his bed, making himself comfortable. She hands him a cup of hot tea before dragging a chair over to his side of the bed.

‘Have you seen yourself?’ Sohee asks.

‘No?’ Minseok hadn’t bothered with a mirror in the slightest. She takes out her phone from her pocket. The back is chrome and almost exactly like a mirror. Minseok takes it nervously and when he looks at himself is startled to see the fading prints of large hands coming to wrap around the sides of his head to his face. Dropping the phone, Minseok reigns himself in.

‘What happened?’ Sohee asks quietly.

‘Something attached itself to me,’ Minseok begins, ‘When I was young. Really young. This was…this was after your visit, you stayed with us for a while I think.’

Sohee nods, remembering.

‘I used to think it was dad, coming in to check on me as I slept it was-‘ he brushes the side of his hair, over his ear, down the back of his head, ‘-at first I thought it was…it was nice? I can’t remember all that much, if I’m being honest. I just thought it was dad and then one day it-‘

Minseok can almost feel the breath of it on his ear.

‘-it spoke to me, I think, and I don’t remember after that,’ Minseok explains. ‘I don’t remember after that, and then I was able to see more. See more, hear more- feel more.’

Sohee curses under her breath, her expression turning bitter and angry. But it’s not directed at Minseok.

‘I think this is my fault,’ she says quietly, ‘I was…when your mother told me about what you could see, that it was just like me, I just somehow wondered if it was my fault. That I caused it.’

Minseok doesn’t know what to say. They don’t know enough of anything to really say if Minseok’s ability to see had anything to do with Sohee. They couldn’t say it wasn’t either.

‘Didn’t mum joke that it ran in the family?’ Minseok tries, ‘Your dad said he could right?’

Sohee snorts, ‘Your grandfather had a lot stories that’s for sure. But we…I don’t know. What more do you remember about it? It’s a single entity?’

‘I…I don’t know,’ Minseok frowns, ‘I know that I remember that night, I saw…so many figures outside the window- outlines though the curtains. And then, when it was inside, they were gone.’

Sohee frowns, clearly thinking hard. She glances around the room, studying the wards, thinking hard.

‘When I came in here last night- I knew something was wrong,’ Sohee explains, ‘I knew I had to hurry. The heaviness of it, it was centered in here. That much I knew for certain. We had to work fast.’

‘We? You mean Lu Han was in here?’ Minseok shifts uncomfortably. He genuinely didn’t like strangers inside his apartment.

‘I needed the help,’ Sohee explains, ‘He’s also incredibly powerful at casting wards. He set up most of the ones inside.’

‘I see,’ Minseok studies the closest one to him.

‘So, we can say that all of this started after my visit when you were a kid. I think my presence attracted something to you- and it hasn’t forgotten you.’ Sohee says slowly.

‘I forgot about it though.’

‘And it came back to you again didn’t it. In that hostel.’ Sohee points out.

Meeting Kyungsoo had somehow triggered that memory for him. Reverting back to a young age, his mind back to being a child- Minseok’s carefully locked away memories slowly shifted back into light again. And then it completely spilled over.

‘Yeah,’ Minseok nods with a sigh.

‘We’ll work together so that we can get rid of it,’ Sohee promises him. ‘But for now, you need to get better. I told your mum I would call her when you got back in, I think she’s been blowing up my phone.’

Minseok smiles, sliding down a little more on the bed.

‘I’ll call her,’ he says, ‘You should rest too.’

She reaches over to gently touch his face, tracing the fading marks of hand prints on his face.

‘We’ll take care of this,’ she promises, ‘Don’t worry Minnie, I’ll protect you.’

*

Jongdae and Baekhyun come to visit the next day and they’re evidently rested and evidently bursting with energy and cheer.

‘Good afternoon!’ they cheer as Sohee opens the door for them. They both bow with exceeding politeness as Sohee welcomes them inside. The next day finds Minseok feeling immensely better and well rested. He slept for a solid 9 hours, no interruptions, no dreams; just a peaceful slumber. Minseok’s hair is still wet from his morning shower and both Jongdae and Baekhyun are yelling at him to get it dried.

Hair dried and fluffed up, Minseok joins his friends and aunt back in the dining area. They had brought an entire boxes of oranges and some very large apples.

‘Minseok-ah, come eat the fruits your friends brought for you!’ Sohee waves at him.

‘Hyung, you look better,’ Baekhyun says with relief while Jongdae squeals at his fluffy hair, reaching over to smooth it over.

‘I feel better,’ Minseok smiles, pulling up a seat and accepting an orange from his aunt. ‘You guys didn’t have to.’

‘We did,’ Jongdae says firmly. ‘Besides! We had a great breakfast here yesterday!’

‘How long will you be here?’ Baekhyun asks his aunt.

‘Just until tomorrow,’ Sohee replies, carefully peeling off the white stringy bits from her oranges before popping them into her mouth. ‘I don’t think I’ll feel good leaving this one here by himself.’

Minseok sends his aunt a comically offended look.

‘And we will make sure to look after him too!’ Baekhyun declares, ‘We also came here to pick up some of the other equipment hyung.’

‘You’re not thinking of going out while unwell are you?’ Sohee asks pointedly.

‘No-‘

‘We would never allow it!’ Jongdae states at once, ‘We will literally tie hyung up if it means keeping him put here and resting as he should!’

Sohee laughs, nodding in approval. ‘That’s good to hear. Thank you for taking such good care of my nephew.’

Baekhyun retrieves Minseok’s laptop and external drives before extracting the SD card from the main camera Minseok carried.

‘Oh this is so exciting!’ Sohee exclaims, ‘It must be very difficult putting all of these videos together! You’re all so talented!’

‘Oh, it’s honestly mostly Minseok-hyung,’ Jongdae says quickly, ‘The difference between our editing and overall cohesiveness from the first season and after Minseok-hyung joined us is extremely embarrassing.’

Sohee laughs again, ‘But I don’t think I really noticed any difference? Just wider angles and shots.’

‘You watch our channel?!’ Baekhyun’s eyes are wide.

‘Of course I do!’ Sohee replies with enthusiasm, holding up her fists. ‘It’s scary! But I enjoy it!’

Minseok nearly chokes on nothing.

Sohee was not someone who could scare easily. If Minseok was half as good as his aunt, he would not be having this problem right now.

‘I’m eagerly anticipating this new season!’ Sohee continues. ‘The season finale was so-‘ she shudders, ‘-so spooky! I’m so pleased to hear that old place will be razed and replaced!’

Baekhyun is practically vibrating.

‘Noona, do you believe in ghosts?’ Baekhyun asks eagerly.

Minseok has no idea how or when this familiarity was suddenly budding between his friends and his aunt.

‘Oh,’ Sohee winces, ‘I don’t like to think of it! I can’t watch horror movies! I jump easily!’

Minseok does choke this time, causing Sohee to give him a quick reprimanding look.

‘Same!’ Baekhyun says hurriedly as he whacks Minseok on the back, ‘But Jongdae, he’s a complete psychopath. You know once, we all went to a horror house during freshman year. That was when I knew Jongdae was probably a sociopath.’

‘It was _obviously _fake,’ Jongdae argues with a frown, ‘There was nothing scary about any of it. Also, it was the dead of winter, I felt bad for the actors.’

‘They were being paid to scare customers!’ Baekhyun rolls his eyes at Jongdae, ‘The least you could do as a paying customer is go along with it.’

‘I’ve been to one of those,’ Sohee tells them seriously, ‘I nearly couldn’t walk!’

That much was true, but it was because Sohee was laughing nearly hysterically while Minseok sighed, bowing apologetically to the actors as they walked past. He had been 17 at the time, and his face had been a permanent red the whole day just thinking about it.

‘Would you like to hear about our next case?’ Baekhyun asks eagerly, legs bouncing.

‘Yes please tell me!’ Sohee says at once before very plausibly gasping and adding, ‘Oh, is it very scary, I don’t know if I can handle it!’

‘It’s most likely not true!’ Baekhyun says at once, ‘I mean, some parts of the story, I definitely think could be believable, but the other details are just-…well, a bit too farfetched?’

‘I can’t believe Byun Baekhyun is saying a story is too farfetched,’ Jongdae snorts from next to him. ‘But yeah, this one is a bit of a…well, quite a tale.’

‘Oh! Do tell me now!’ Sohee claps excitedly.

‘I don’t know if you use social media sites much, but this went viral on twitter and other places,’ Baekhyun quickly begins, subtly pushing Jongdae to the side as though to shut him up. ‘It’s the one about a junior graphic designer coming across what he describes as an alternative dimension? It went viral as the “Not-White-House Dimension”?’

Sohee just blinks a few times before shaking her head. Minseok notes the spark of interest in her eyes.

‘I’ve never heard of this. Also, why is it called that?’

Jongdae laughs, throwing his head back, ‘The whole area has a kinda heavily old American architecture exterior, and as this studio had their exterior painted white, it was called the White House, but to clarify the story and not frame the actual White House as a haunted place, they named it the Not-White-House.’

Minseok has heard about this. In fact, he had actively followed the story and progress early last year when the person in question was updating a captivated audience. He was both pleased that he had reached out to them.

Sohee laughs heartily at that, slapping her knee a few times. ‘That’s more comedy than horror!’

‘Oh but this whole story is just so good!’ Baekhyun is nearly vibrating again.

It was an extremely good story yes, Minseok agrees. He had been scrolling through his twitter feed when the whole story thread had popped up. A mutual had retweeted it saying it scared the shit out of her and so Minseok was naturally interested. Well, that had been _one _reason- the main reason stemmed from the two pictures the person had uploaded to start his thread.

They looked innocent enough, just some stairs leading up, walls on either side, before stopping at a landing, and turning to the left and heading up again. The second picture is taken from the landing, and at the top is a door. Perfectly normal looking photos albeit the whole architecture being a little odd considering the door just stood there at the top step.

But one look was enough to send a shiver down Minseok’s back.

This whole place was clearly overwhelmed. Not in a regular haunted kind of way, with some spirits here and there. No this whole place was steeped in a strange heavy weight of strange darkness so powerful Minseok could feel it through a grainy low-lit photo on twitter’s amazing photo resolution display.

It all started when the then junior graphic designer of an undisclosed design studio decided he needed to go for a smoking break. The studio was part of a series of closely built and connected houses, designed to be used as “home-offices” where the architecture resembled a house rather than a mundane office space. You could take down some walls to connect two separate houses and form a larger space if you wanted. This studio occupied the space a little close to the edge of the series. The studio had been there for almost 4 years but had recently gone through some interior changes. The graphic designer had explained that because the kitchen and eating area had been under renovation, they had set up a temporary food station on the third floor that was initially used as a meeting room. The meeting room area opened out to a nice terrace, and that was where they used to take smoking breaks. But as the food station had been set up there, they agreed not to smoke out there anymore out of consideration.

The graphic designer had been itching for a smoke and had naturally made his way upwards before realizing he couldn’t smoke out in the terrace anymore. So rather than go down, he decides to go to the rarely used washroom upstairs and pop open a window and smoke for a while with the vent on.

The stairs in the picture were around the corner of the short hallway that housed the washroom and so he had never noticed it before. He assumed there was a closet or even a dead-end. But still feeling a little guilty and self-conscious but still pushing ahead with his plan, the designer pokes his head around the corner and finds the stairs.

Not expecting it, he was _very _shocked. It wasn’t dirty or very dusty. It was quite dim as well and well, he was not here to investigate weird strangely steep staircases. He went to the washroom and had his smoke for a while and left it at that. When he went back to his seat, he asked his fellow junior if she had seen the stairs past the upstairs washroom. She had no idea what he was talking about and they both dismissed it for the day.

A few days later, when he was eating a late lunch with another fellow junior, he asked if she had seen the stairs past the washroom. She had not, and wanted to see it for herself. After eating they head to the stairs and it’s there again. That was when he took the photos. They were both puzzled because they didn’t know there was a 4th floor. Maybe it lead to the rooftop. His fellow junior had suggested maybe it was rooftop access for maintenance. They both agreed it was extremely weird to have the door just stand there at the top step. Neither of them seemed to want to climb further up but he sort of laughed it off and climbed up the remaining steps. At the door he hesitated, not sure why. It was _very _quiet up here he realized. He also said he wasn’t sure why but he felt like he was about to become hysterical for no reason. His fellow junior had called his name, but her voice sounded really far away. He looked around just to make sure he wasn’t suddenly at the top of some insanely high place. It felt like it for a moment. He tried the door handle, realizing to his immense disquiet that it opened by pulling, rather than pushing. But it’s locked. The handle doesn’t even budge.

Kinda spooked, he turns back around and goes back down, telling the other junior it was locked. She looks slightly unsettled, saying that it was strangely dark up there, and she couldn’t quite see him when he stood up there even though it had only been 9 steps up.

They don’t talk about it until after a few days when they’re at the meeting room again. They had a small team of maintenance staff who came in to clean the studio. One of the older ladies is chatty, asking them about their work and mock scolding them for smoking. He then makes the executive decision to ask her about the staircases and if she had the keys up there.

She makes a funny face before asking them if they were able to open the door or not. They both shake their heads, confused. She sits down on one of the stools before telling them to not open the door. The other junior designer asks if it’s because it will trigger an alarm but the older lady shakes her head in reply.

She warns them not to go up there, and then asks if they’re religious. Weirded out, they both shake their heads. She doubly tells them not to go up the stairs, especially alone. The door probably didn’t open because they were together.

He asks her what would happen if the door opens and you walk in.

She seemed resigned, like she didn’t want to tell them, but also thinking that if she told them, maybe they wouldn’t try to do it themselves. So something like an attempt at a cautionary tale.

She tells them that it depends on the person who opens the door. For her, when she opened the door, she was in a sort of attic space filled with dusty boxes. She thought it was a storage area and was going to head back down when she heard movement. She went to check, wondering if it was a rat or some other pest. But instead she came across a shrine. It wasn’t an ordinary shrine though. Everything was a dirty white: the incense pot, the incense stick, the empty frames, the draping fabrics, the kneeling pillows, the table, the floor area bleeding into the carpet. It smelt like ash, and everything seemed wrong. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something move, a figure, dressed like a temple monk, in the same raggedy dirty white. She instantly closed her eyes and grabbed her amulet around her neck, praying desperately. She took a step backwards and nearly fell down the stairs. She opened her eyes and realized she was at the top of the stairs and the door was closed. Then she heard the lock click, the handle twisting as though to open and she quickly stopped it, locking it shut.

At this point both the junior designers are spooked, but they also find it kinda exaggerated because the older lady had a lot of excessive detail, showing them her amulet and many more she kept on herself. She asked them if they wanted one, that she could get one for them. But they both thank her and say no. She makes them promise her to not check the stairs again, and not try and open the door. They both promise her, with many reassurances.

But obviously, our junior graphic designer doesn’t heed her words.

He stays back late, not because he wanted to but he had to. He tells the whole junior team about what they heard from the maintenance lady and they all agree it’s a spooky story and they all immediately clamber to check the stairs. At night it’s somehow more terrifying. But there were 5 of them. It would be fine right?

At first it seemed fine. They used the light from all of their phones to light up the hallway as there was no light fixture in that area. They dare each other to go check the handle and with squeals they all do it. That night nothing out of the ordinary happens. Nothing happens until almost a week later.

The kitchen has been fixed but due to issues with the air conditioning, they’ve had to resort back to eating at the meeting room again. He’s eating by himself when he hears his fellow junior scream his name in horror before the sound of a slamming door reverberates throughout the place.

Startled, he rushes towards the stairs because that’s where the sound had come from. He rushes up the stairs and pushes up to the door. He calls her name several times but there’s no answer. He’s starting to panic and he wonders if he should call for the others when the door clicks and it slowly swings open.

Then he hears her calling his name again and he moves before he can even think.

Once he steps inside, the door slams and he finds himself in a weird hallway. It’s quite long, but there are only 3 doorways, right at the very end, one on each side. It’s also quite narrow, and the ceiling high up. The light is coming from above, but he can’t see if it’s natural or not. He tries to open the door behind him but it’s jammed. When he tries again, the door just seems to vanish into the wall.

He hears his fellow junior designer scream his name again and though terrified, he runs down the hallway as fast as he can, randomly opening the door to the left, only to find himself looking down the exact same identical hallway. The door slams shut behind him again and he’s back at the start. Panic building in him, he takes the door at the end facing him. The same thing happens.

He takes the door to the right, and he moves so fast, he sees a blur of movement at the end- a strange thin limping figure rushing through the doorway. He’s both angry and scared now, so he yells. He runs as fast as he can but ends up tripping. He picks himself up, pain shooting up his ankle. He limp runs towards the door that person had vanished through, but just as he’s about to step through, the door behind him opens and a voice yells at him. But momentum carries him forward and he falls through into the same hallway again. This happens 4 more times, during which he sees the figure again, limping through the doorway when he realizes he’s _seen himself_.

He writes that he had played enough videogames and read enough books and comics to understand he was in a loop, and he was seeing himself through the time loops. So midway run, he forces himself to stop, runs back towards the hallway and just as the door opens, presumably by another him, he grabs it and yanks it open and falls through.

When he opens his eyes, he’s on the floor, his fellow junior designers and a few other seniors looking down at him with worry.

He had apparently slipped on the toilet floor and got knocked out and his fellow junior, the very same who had screamed his name, had found him and quickly alerted the others. An ambulance was on its way there. He had a mild concussion, and when he tried to speak to his fellow junior about what happened, she just shook her head and told him to never talk about it again.

Almost 8 months later, he had then approached them after finding out the house was empty and was actually going to be taken down as none of the businesses could take off and the developers were losing money.

Sohee looks impressed, scrolling through the pictures and screenshots of the whole thread.

‘That’s so exciting,’ she says. ‘So fascinating!’

‘Isn’t it?’ Baekhyun trills, ‘It’s so terrifying!’

‘A bit too much like PT Silent Hills to me,’ Jongdae yawns.

They argue between each other while Sohee looks up from the tablet Baekhyun had handed her. Minseok meets her eyes. She looks serious, eyes flitting from the tablet to Minseok, back to Jongdae and Baekhyun, and back at the tablet, clearly thinking hard.

‘Hey I was just thinking, you guys want to paint your nails?’ Sohee asks randomly.

Both Jongdae and Baekhyun are a little taken aback but to their credit (?????) readily agree.

Baekhyun ends up sporting a soft pastel blue, and Jongdae has black with accent fluorescent ring-finger nails. Sohee smiles with satisfaction, having imprinted powerful wards into their nail art.

‘Minseok-hyung, what about you?’

‘I think orange,’ Sohee shakes the bottle in his direction.

‘Orange it is.’

*

_‘Hey hyung,’ _Baekhyun’s face fills up the screen.

Snorting, Minseok turns on the video for the call and waves back at Baekhyun’s all too close up face.

‘Hey, all set up?’

‘_Yeah! We’re just prepping where we’re gonna keep the cameras. I didn’t think this place would be this big but I guess, here we are,’ _Baekhyun laughs in that way where Minseok knows he’s scared. ‘_You want a tour?’_

‘Absolutely,’ Minseok is kinda eager to know about the place. He also trusts that the two of them won’t do anything stupid, and with the powerful wards painted into their nail art, they should be at the very least, protected from anything dangerous happening to them.

‘_Ta-da!’ _Baekhyun swivels the camera at a nauseating speed. They’re clearly inside, but just as the doorway area for now. ‘_We’ve finished the interview with Mr. Son, he was super uncomfortable the entire time and made us promise not to separate at any cost.’_

‘Has Jongdae said he insists on doing an individual walk all by himself?’

‘_Of course he has, that psychopath.’_

_‘I can hear you!’ _Jongdae’s face appears, waving brightly, headphones around his neck. ‘_Hi hyung! Are you resting? Is Sohee-noona already gone?’_

‘Yes, to both questions,’ Minseok settles back into his chair comfortably, propping his feet up. His aunt had told him to meditate to recover, but honestly Minseok feels all right. The wards around the apartment were gleaming at him occasionally and it makes him feel better.

‘_Good! Are you giving hyung a tour?’_

‘_Yeap! Now move, I’ll do a quick scan before we start losing light,’ _Baekhyun walks around, pointing out the rooms and commenting on how terrible the whole aesthetic was with the abandoned heavy office desks pushed to the center of the rooms, loads of wires and cables sticking out of ceilings and walls where sockets and plugs and fixtures were once attached. ‘_This is the stairs up- as you can see, nice and wide, unlike the cursed ones upstairs.’ _

Baekhyun is panting a little as he climbs up towards the second floor. The lighting isn’t the brightest, but Minseok occasionally catches glimpses of evening blue skies through the wide windows.

‘So you’ve seen the infamous stairs?’

‘_Yes- and hyung, I’m not making shit up, it’s creepy. Mr. Son refused to go up and so Jongdae and I went up and tried the door. It was locked.’_

They had gotten the permission to shoot in there for the night, but were not given any additional keys to access locked areas as some of the rooms were being used to still store office equipment the studio would be taking with them later, as well as the developers of the units weren’t too keen on having some YouTube Supernatural Channel™ make a whole video on the property. But again, Jongdae is convincing, turning the whole narrative into that of gaining internet clout and reputation of intrigue and interest. Somehow that worked, so here they were. Well, here were Baekhyun and Jongdae.

‘_It’s so creepy- I don’t want to go by myself to be honest, so I will just show you a video of it from like, the distance-‘ _Baekhyun wheezes, ‘_-I am so unfit, all of that holiday binge eating is getting on me and my hips. I need to work out.’_

‘We can do something for the weekends, get you back to some shape before midterm grind comes along,’ Minseok laughs, eyeing the place as Baekhyun points out the areas they were placing the cameras.

‘_That sounds like fun hyung! But nothing intense please, I don’t think I could do weight,’ _Baekhyun grins, ‘_Oh! We’re putting motion sensors here, facing the stairs and into the meeting room area. We’re also keeping the camera angled here so we have a shot of the washroom too.’_

Minseok leans into his phone in anticipation.

‘_Here we go! The **stairs**. Or like, from this angle I am not stepping a single step closer.’_

The camera quality isn’t that great and Baekhyun’s constant shifting of the phone wasn’t helping either. But Minseok can tell straight away it wasn’t a normal stretch of corridor by any means.

‘_As we did promise Mr. Son we wouldn’t do anything alone,’ _Baekhyun is saying, ‘_We’re just gonna use the spirit box here, at the landing. And ask some questions.’_

‘Yeah, besides it’s just the two of you, stick together,’ Minseok says lightly, feeling uncomfortable looking at the stairs for too long. His stomach feels like its rolling, like he just missed a step, just looking at the heavy weight of the stairs.

‘_Of course hyung, do not underestimate my cowardice!’ _Baekhyun turns away from the stairs, ‘_I have no intention of being here any longer than we need to! And also not to mention, you’re not here. When you’re here, we’re three, and that’s like, a solid holy number isn’t it? I feel protected. Triangle of protection.’_

Minseok laughs, studying the view as best as he could, not being there himself. Honestly, he wishes he could go, but despite feeling better, Minseok _knows _he’ll end up endangering his friends instead by being there. Sohee had said Lu Han would come to visit him tomorrow, and they would discuss what to do about this entity. Sohee didn’t want to take any chances and Minseok is all for it. If they were going to try for a deeper exorcism or maybe even a complete purification, Minseok would need all of the strength and energy he could muster to participate. Lu Han was obviously not from here, so his methods would be different and Minseok doesn’t know what to expect. Being overly prepared was always better than not being prepared enough.

‘_Baekhyun! We need to do sound check!’ _Jongdae yells.

‘_I’m coming!’ _Baekhyun yells, nearly deafening Minseok in the process.

Minseok is privy to some truly unflattering angles and worlds shakiest footage before Baekhyun is downstairs again.

‘_Also I think I saw some cars pulling up, I think the developers are here to make sure we do what we said we would.’ _Jongdae is saying.

‘_Okay, we will be on our best behavior of course,’ _Baekhyun huffs out, ‘_Don’t worry about us hyung. We’re big boys.’_

‘_That we are- wait, I wanna say hi to hyung.’_

‘_You already did.’_

‘_But like this-‘_ the phone twists and turns around before Jongdae’s face fills up the screen. ‘-_hyung! We miss you!’_

Minseok laughs, ‘I miss you guys too. Feels strange not carrying 15 kilos of equipment up and down weird ass places-‘

Minseok’s stomach drops when he sees _It_ standing just a little ways behind Jongdae. _It’s_ looking straight into the camera, straight at Minseok.

Jongdae is saying something, whining and then abruptly stopping as he puts on his “business” voice.

_It _waves.

‘_Oh we have to go now, see you hyung get some rest-!’ _Jongdae is saying and then the call cuts abruptly and Minseok is filled with dread.

Cursing, Minseok calls back at once. But the call keeps going through nonstop, no replies. He tries Jongdae’s phone and that too keeps going through, no one picks up. Pacing inside his room, Minseok waits 5 minutes before calling both of their phones again. And then again. And then again.

And then after the 6th call, the line goes through and Baekhyun picks up. But he doesn’t speak. Doesn’t answer the call with his customary ‘_hyung!’ _whenever Minseok called him.

‘Baekhyun?’ Minseok speaks quietly.

There’s no sound. It’s completely void.

‘Baekhyun-‘

‘-_waiting.’ _Baekhyun’s voice crackles through the line. ‘_-just WA I T I N G-_

** _W A I T I N G! ! ! _ **

The voice shrieks through Minseok’s apartment, the curtains sway and Minseok feels it on the floor beneath his feet, the clock on his wall rattling. The line cuts abruptly and Minseok feels like he’s run a marathon.

Without thinking he jumps up to his feet and grabs his keys, phone gripped in his hand. He bursts out of his apartment, just barely locking it shut behind him, only the sound of the electronic lock beeping cutting through his panicked mind. _It _was there. _It _was going after Baekhyun and Jongdae- and they were already in that house, in that place. Minseok should have gone with them, or he should have stopped this whole shoot.

He paces as he waits for the elevator, cursing under his breath as it finally opens. He continues to pace as he goes down to the parking floor. The doors open and Minseok swerves to avoid the small group of people waiting for the elevator. He’s sprinting now, finding his car where Jongdae had parked it. Diving into his car, Minseok barely notices how someone is sprinting towards him from the elevator area, waving their arms. Minseok speeds out of the parking lot and out of the driveway and into the streets.

He calls Jongdae’s and Baekhyun’s phones again, cursing the whopping 25 km distance he was going to have to legally speed through during high traffic hours. Minseok takes some dangerously risky short cuts and by some miracle, is able to get to the location within the hour. He steps out of his car, barely locking it when a strange force pushes against him.

It’s easy spotting the studio unit- the Not-White-House looms wearily in the dim streetlight of the area, the heavy weight of it gnawing and nauseating. This wasn’t just an ordinary haunting- something was very wrong with this place and with the doors it kept shut. Minseok sucks in a deep breath and pushes through until like a rubber band snapping, he goes through into the walkway. The door is partially open, and Minseok spies equipment.

‘BAEKHYUN!’ he yells as loudly as he can. ‘JONGDAE!’

There’s no response.

He looks around the place, ears perked, eyes straining in the gloom. He rushes with his phone, switching on the flashlight only to have it highlight a dark figure standing at the end of the hallway. It’s form is similar to Jongdae’s outline and Minseok’s core is shaking with fear.

‘Dae-?’

It walks away.

Quickly walking towards the hallway, Minseok calls for his friend again but there’s no reply. It’s a dead-end hallway. There’s a noise from the doorway he had just left and turning, Minseok finds someone crawling past, wearing the jacket Baekhyun had been wearing earlier.

‘Baekhyun!’ Minseok runs.

But there’s nothing there.

There’s a brief wave of light, from car headlamps outside and it illuminates _It, _standing at the top of the stairs leading upwards.

‘Give them back!’ Minseok yells, staring at it head on, furious.

But it simply walks back up and away.

Frustrated, angry, afraid- Minseok chases after It, after the thing that cursed his childhood nights, instilling bone chilling fear in him that caused him to struggle with sleep for a long time, experience night terrors he willfully forgot as he got older. He knows where it’s going- where it’s kept Baekhyun and Jongdae, now caught in all of this because he couldn’t-

He skids on the marble floors for a bit, pausing from the sheer overwhelming weight that was oozing out of the stairs leading up past the washroom. Minseok’s stomach heaves, but he controls himself. His hair stands on end, his entire being just wanted to collapse and give up. But he wouldn’t. He couldn’t.

Each step forward was like wading through quicksand enveloping all around him. It gets worse and worse until he reaches the stairs and he falls over with a gasp. Strange dotted lights erupt around him: the motion sensors. Their equipment was still here.

Struggling, Minseok turns his head and looks up the steep stairs.

The door is open.

He can’t see what’s inside, but there’s a cool dim light permeating the air through the door. He can hear the sound of rain, of thunder. He hears a familiar click- a fridge door opening, and a warm orange light fills the air. He hears the quiet attempts of a child trying to take out some Tupperware.

Minseok crawls up until he’s at the very top step.

He can’t see clearly through the windows, rain behind him, the glass and curtains blocking his vision. He sees himself at the dining table- he’s looking at himself looking at-

He looks at the chair his father normally sat on and there It is.

It smiles at him.

‘_It’sssssssssssssssssssssssssssooooooooooooooooooogooooooooooooooooooooooodttttttttttttttttttooooooooooooooseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.’_

A hand grabs at his ankle and Minseok falls out of the window and down the stairs.

‘Fucking hell, what’s wrong with you, do you have a death wish?!’ a somewhat familiar voice yells at him.

Minseok half falls, half crawls down the stairs and into a heap by the washroom door.

A glowing figure surrounded in moving wisps of light stands before him. He’s familiar.

‘Fuck,’ he curses, frowning up at the stairs, ‘Why the fuck did you go up there? Can’t you tell how fucked up it is?’

Minseok is trembling.

He’s gasping for breath, exhaustion washing over him. With strength he didn’t know he possessed, Minseok looks up to find Lu Han standing before him. He looks slightly winded, and his sleeves are damp-

‘How- how did you find me?’ Minseok manages to get out, realizing he’s drenched in rain water. He stands up abruptly, the hallway and attached meeting room space spinning around me. Lu Han steps forward as though to balance him but Minseok waves a hand, finding a wall and steadying himself.

‘I followed after you,’ Lu Han frowns, ‘Your aunt told me about your schedule- and you bolted out into the parking lot so I thought-‘

A sudden thought comes to Minseok’s mind and he _has _to know.

‘That- that girl-‘ Minseok manages to croak out.

‘Oh, the young girl at the theater?’ Lu Han clarifies, ‘Don’t worry, she’s okay- she ran away, actually helped me find you.’

Minseok is close to tears. He finally gives in and kneels down on the floor.

‘This place is no match for us- well, maybe if we had one more person, but seeing as you’re drained, and I can’t close whatever fucking gateway that is up there while still keeping an eye on you, I think we should get going.’ Lu Han takes his arm and as though to move them towards the stairs but Minseok can’t quite move.

‘They’re not here.’

‘No, I think they left quite a while ago,’ Lu Han kneels down next to him, taking one of his arms to sling over his shoulder. Despite his thin frame, Lu Han is able to help him stand quite easily. Minseok only just realizes that there were no cameras, sensors- none of their equipment is there.

‘You knew this was a trap and yet you still came,’ he sighs, ‘Why would you do something so dumb.’

‘I can’t- I can’t let anything bad happen to Jongdae and Baekhyun,’ Minseok replies, ‘I would never let that happen.’

‘You know these things don’t affect them like they do us,’ Lu Han sighs again.

‘They’re- they’re my best friends,’ Minseok retorts, ‘They mean everything to me and I would fucking go back in there if it meant them being safe.’

‘Well there’s no need for the dramatics,’ Lu Han huffs, ‘So I’m guessing they don’t know.’

‘No, of course not,’ Minseok is able to stand without swaying, ‘They don’t need to know.’

‘I mean, you’d feel better if you did?’

‘…I don’t think I would,’ Minseok frowns looking at Lu Han with confusion.

‘Are you the type who bottles their emotions inside?’ Lu Han tilts his head, ‘You should tell them how you feel- or are you like, worried because I mean I guess poly relationships aren’t the most accepted-‘

‘What the fuck are you talking about?!’ Minseok yelps.

‘…what are _you _talking about?’ Lu Han asks back instead, but there’s a twinkle in his eyes.

‘You’re such an asshole,’ Minseok exhales out noisily, turning to make his way out of the studio.

‘Hey!’ Lu Han laughs, following after him, ‘Come on, I was kidding, I just needed to make the atmosphere light- gotta keep things light and easy y’know? It’s all about the mental wellbeing.’

Minseok turns back around to give Lu Han a glare. He knows he’s right, but Minseok has been through a lot tonight and he just wants to go back to his place. But he pushes through and gets out of the studio, still breathless.

‘Hey woah buns, wait up-‘ Lu Han calls after him as they step out onto the small one-way street.

‘-exc_use me?! Buns?!’ _

‘Cute as a bun- those cheeks, and I mean both-‘

‘Hey!’ Minseok yells as loudly as he dared in the middle of the night as they step out into the street, ‘Why the fuck did Sohee send me a pervert.’

‘Excuse you, I have _eyes_,’ Lu Han cackles, skipping forward to keep in step with Minseok as he walks back to his car.

‘Why are you following me,’ Minseok frowns at the taller man before a sinking feeling settles in his stomach.

Lu Han gives him a wildly innocent smile.

‘I’m not following you, I’m headed back to my place.’

Minseok stops by his parked car. So does Lu Han.

‘Where do you live?’ Minseok asks slowly, dread filling him.

‘Hi neighbour,’ Lu Han leans over the opposite side of his car, an all too charming smile on his face, ‘It’s nice to meet you, I hope we get a long well!’

*

Why Are All The B-Sides Bops?: _Dude what a terrifying account. I mean I don’t really believe in it, but that’s just straight up terrifying, like, if that happened to me, I wouldn’t be surprised if other people didn’t believe me either I get how this guy feels_

Why Are All The B-Sides Bops?: _WAIT I TAKE BACK MY FIRST COMMENT WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO THOSE MOTION SENSOR LIGHTS- IT CLEARLY OUTLINED A FIGURE FALLING OVER THE STAIRS RIGHT? SOME ONE TELL ME I’M RIGHT_

Mareete: _I cannot express how terrifying it was to see those motion sensor lights move like that. That’s some hardcore evidence isn’t it??????_

It’s Time for Blue Hour: _I love that they started the video with a disclaimer that Minseok was sick and it was NOT covid during the time of this shoot_

Baguette Au Pain_: HEY I SAW THIS THREAD GO ON VIRAL ON TWITTER I CAN’T BELIEVE WE GET TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON THE INSIDE AND EVERYTHING I LOVE THIS SO MUCH_

Baguette Au Pain_: I have regrets._

I’m Sorry, Did I Make You Anxious?: _I too would move my whole ass office out of the place if that happened to an employee_

Bocchann: _Dude, those first pictures…I shuddered. It was VERY obviously haunted, had the creeps looking at it._

Bocchann: _HAHAHAH WTF ARE THOSE MOTION SENSOR LIGHTS_

Lilithesue25: _I mean, I know he’s well and all, but Minseok!!! I hope he’s cirrenlty killing it and he’s ripped af with all of the chloe ting exercises _

167 is average height: _THANK FUCK NO FUCKING EYES IN THIS VIDEO THANK YOU GODS OF YOUTUBE CONTENT_

167 is average height: _FUCK THAT GIVE ME THE EYES INSTEAD_

Indigo_salad: _Awwww, miss seeing Minseok (though lbr he rarely showed up) in this episode but wow, that was intense! What a story!_

@/Mina, plz wife me up thx: _Their nail art was the cutest thing- Baekhyun has really pretty hands!!_

All for Happiness Always (please read bio): _Stop writing only about Minseok guys, this was shot ages ago, he’s obviously fine right now, just wailing about Minseok is gonna reflect badly on the whole channel. Remember, jongdee and beakhyun have been doing this channel for a long while even before Minseok_

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: @All for Happiness Always (please read bio)_I get your point but I seriously doubt jongdae and Baekhyun are looking at these comments and going ‘this channel is nothing without Minseok now, we suck, we will never upload content again’ _

Gowon_for_President: _Wbk that the actual white house is the real horror tho, no need for a disclaimer guys_

Incorrect Baekhyun Quotes: _I miss their autopsy episodes!! Wishing it will come back!_

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _Maybe that ghost just wants to disco_

*

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Long Ass Author’s Note)
> 
> Jongdae!!!!!!!!!! T_T we will patiently wait for you to come back!!!  
Please stay healthy, happy, and we will greet you with a long and beautiful hello.
> 
> Yeah so Minseok’s earliest memory is basically one of my earliest memories. I changed it up to fit the story a little better, but when I was around 4, nearly 5, I was hungry and I had woken up my aunt. It was raining a lot, like A LOT, so idk if I was scared of the sounds or actually hungry but I just felt restless I remember. My aunt took me to the kitchen and I remember so distinctly human figure shapes against the windows of the living room every time lightning flashed through the sky.  
But that’s where the memory ends haha, no creepy shadow childhood friend here. But the dark shadowy figure sitting on the chair in the living room is something that happened to my sister. She went to the bathroom at night and thought our dad was sitting down by himself in the dark in the living room. She even spoke to him and went to the toilet. When she asked dad why he was sitting outside in the living room at night my dad obviously replied that he had no idea what she was talking about. I can tell you right now how we all took that information.  
Also the story of the studio/office is based on a twitter thread from this officer worker here in Bangkok, I used autotranslate so I think some of the story is a little skewed to me, but that’s the overall gist of it!! The reason why I even looked through the thread was because of the photos this guy uploaded at the beginning of the thread. Because I was like ‘lmao does this person know the stairs/hallway he’s taking pictures of is haunted?’ and so I clicked through it and well, that’s the story Hahaha. I can’t always tell when some place is haunted based on a picture, but this one was like, I was scrolling and I saw the photo and my whole being just Tingled™. Ive been saving this story for a while now hehehehee  
Also I want to rant about Aespa but hey! I’m not going to because this is fuckign 2020 and let’s not bring up the topics of dystopian level entertainment forms that seems no different from an episode of Black Mirror! Or the fact that this is very!!!!!!!!!!!! Creepy in so many ways I cannot even list it here!! And if you do not know what I mean, congratulations on managing to live a somewhat pure and innocent life. Let us not do that here ^_^  
I feel like the past two montsh I’ve been screaming AOTY with every new album that comes out. TXT, Twice, loona, and now MonstaX. Fatal Love is such a good album I cannot even begin to describe how much I love this album. I think it’s now my favourite album from them. It narrowly beats out The Connect: Dajevu for me. Just very narrowly. God, what a perfect album. TXT too, my new favourite album from them. Loona, absolutely out sold. And TWICE TOO WHAT A GOOD ALBUM SO MUCH GOOD MUSIC GUYS I CAN’T and GFriend about to drop their album you KNOW im gonna scream AOTY as well. Sigh.  
Anyways, if you managed to read all of this, just gonna say it right now, go listen to the new MonstaX album, you will NOT regret it. Nobody Else, and Night Ride are my favourites!  
Absolutely stunning, life changing, ground breaking, amazing, perfect music.


	24. Special Announcements for the Foreseeable Future!!!

‘Who the fuck is this guy?!’

‘_Did you go out after your friends into that place?’ _Sohee sounds exhausted at Minseok.

‘That’s besides the point,’ Minseok exclaims, pointing wildly at his front door which he had slammed shut very quickly to prevent Lu Han from entering his apartment. ‘Who is this guy?!’

‘_That **guy **is the guy who saved your life you idiot,’ _Sohee grumbles, still sleepy and very irritated at being woken up by her disgruntled and chaotic nephew at 2 in the morning. ‘_Be grateful he was in the city.’_

‘Why does he live across from me?’ Minseok demands. ‘What does he want?’

‘_First of all your building had several empty units and it’s at a greatly affordable rate,’ _Sohee yawns, ‘_Second, I owe him a favour, and showed him this building literally a month ago. I knew you’d meet at one point but this was not quite how I imagined it. Third- he does not want anything. He’s there to keep an eye on you because I asked him to.’_

‘Aunt-‘

‘_You don’t think I’m not keeping track of you?’ _Sohee retorts, ‘_This little adventure you’re having with your friends has nearly landed you in some serious problems. I need you to be more careful- what we can see, what we can do- they’re not simple or easy or without repercussions. I thought I told you this.’_

Minseok collapses onto his couch, still sending a glare at his front door.

‘_You did not tell me the full danger of that hostel, or about the greenhouse which luckily has its own protector. Remember that if you can see them, **they **can see you too. And they will continue to do so.’_

Minseok is still damp from the rain and now that his annoyance, shock, and mostly fear has abated, he’s starting to shiver. Starting to feel a little foolish, and a little lost.

‘I’m just really-‘ Minseok is alarmed to find his voice wavering, eyes burning.

He hears Sohee moving on the line, the sound of blankets being pushed off.

‘_Minseok-ah, listen to me. It’s okay to be frightened. It’s okay to be worried about your friends. I know why you did this. You care about them. So please remember that I care about you, and the same way you want to make sure your friends are safe, I want to make sure you are too.’ _Sohee tells him quietly, gently, ‘_I know you’re strong, your mind, your heart- you’re so strong. But sometimes, you can depend on others, okay?’_

‘Okay,’ Minseok sniffs out.

‘_I also know Lu Han is a bit-…out there, but that’s just him riling you up. Trust me, he’s a wonderful person, and I know you’ll like him well enough.’_

‘Okay,’ Minseok repeats again, toeing off his socks which were luckily not wet.

‘_Now get some rest, and go talk to Lu Han tomorrow. You understand?’_

‘Yes aunt.’

‘_Good. Drink some ginseng extract tomorrow okay? I’ve kept a jar in your cupboard, the third one from the right to the sink.’_

Minseok rolls his eyes but agrees.

Dropping his phone to the side Minseok slides down on his couch for a moment. His apartment is quiet and the whole building asleep. It was 2 am and Minseok is disoriented from the time he lost in that house. He’s never encountered something that intense, that combined with _It. _Looking down at himself, Minseok agrees that he’s been foolish, and that he’s definitely not been taking enough precautions or measures to protect _himself_.

Washing up and changing out into his pajamas, Minseok burrows his way into his bed. Before he puts his phone away to charge, out of curiosity, he checks on his call logs. There are no outgoing calls from his number.

Sliding it away, Minseok turns over on his bed, automatically yanking his blanket up to cover his ear, muffling the world around him as he drifts off into a fitful sleep.

*

Minseok is making himself breakfast when there’s a short knock on his front door. Unsure who to expect and also dreading the high possibility of it being his new neighbour, Minseok quietly steps up to his door and listens.

There’s no sound from outside.

Quietly, he steps away and goes back to his kitchen. He’s carefully placing his fried egg over his rice when there’s another knock. This time it’s a bit more urgent.

Nearly dropping his spatula, Minseok quietly rushes up to his door and listens.

Again there’s no sound- no movement, no shuffling of feet. He waits longer this time but there’s no follow up.

He steps away slowly, eyeing his door as he makes his way back. He’s halfway eating his breakfast when the door thuds violently. He upsets his cup of water, water spilling down to the floor. Heart in his throat, Minseok rushes to the door again and this time he yanks the door open to nothing.

There’s a flurry of rapid movement at his feet, and Minseok falls against his wall, dread crushing down around him before he realizes that there were cats at his feet.

‘Oh I should have expected this,’ a voice says, huffing a little, ‘I sensed something odd.’

Minseok can only stare as all the cats zoom into his apartment- there’s 3 of them, two black, and 1 large slightly messy looking orange tabby.

‘Don’t worry! They’re incredibly trained and won’t just pee on your stuff!’ Lu Han gives him a thumb’s up from the doorway.

‘…that was not my worry,’ is all Minseok manages to say.

‘Great! Good morning by the way! Have you had the ginseng extract yet?’ Lu Han asks before he eyes the door, ‘This piece of shit really is after you isn’t it?’

Then as though he owned the place, merrily ushers Minseok back inside and closes the door after himself.

‘Well, it’s good to see that the wards are holding up well!’ Lu Han exclaims, looking about before walking over to Minseok’s sink. He retrieves a bowl and a spoon and holds it up to Minseok. ‘I am hungry!’

Minseok stares between Lu Han and the doorway for a while before stepping back into the kitchen. He spoons out some rice for his new neighbour and Lu Han scurries away to the table.

‘Any nightmares? Bruising?’ Lu Han asks as he sits on a chair, crossing his legs up.

‘Uh-,’ Minseok looks over Lu Han, still really unsure how to feel about this absolute stranger. Well, not so much a stranger. Lu Han had spent most of the journey back last night telling Minseok his whole life story. Honestly Minseok doesn’t remember most of the excessive fine detail but he knows enough.

Lu Han was his age, and came from a long line of mediums, shamans, clairvoyants, and soothsayers. He was raised by an accountant mother and a medium father so his childhood was honestly all over the place. He was mostly raised by his two great-aunts who were both absolutely ungifted in this sort of field and Lu Han used to pretend there were ghosts so he could get off chores around the house after school. However he loved his great aunts dearly and loved his childhood with them. He would sometimes follow his dad to his appointments where his skills as a medium was requested. And he would sometimes go with his mum to her office where he would watch her industrially fill out spreadsheet after spreadsheet. He loved both his parents a lot, but also found both of them a tad bit overbearing in their own field. Which was why he chose to study astrophysics: a subject that required both math and science but not in a way that pleased his mother, and going forward with his instincts and gifts to make money rather than for free like how his father said was the only true and pure way.

_‘But hey man, you gotta capitalize on your gifts right?’ Lu_ Han had added with a bright grin.

And capitalize he did. Lu Han was very comfortably rich and could easily sponsor himself and his chosen field of education which he was actually genuinely very interested in.

‘_I’m so excited about what’s happening with gravitional lenses man, if we’re able to calculate the rapidity by which the universe is expanding, we will be able to make a measurement of it- we will be able to measure infinity as it progresses- through time, space, and mass!’_

Lu Han offered psychic reading.

A lot of it, he said with a bright smile, was observation. Observation and paying attention.

_‘Nearly all humans are self-obsessed. We always talk about ourselves, the environment around us? It’s our individual extension of self, right? If you study someone long enough, see how they interact with their surroundings, you know exactly what kind of person they are. Of course there’s like, tells to people. Once you know where to look, it’s super easy.’_

But he also did _this_. Providing and placing wards. His specialty. He wasn’t trained formally- he didn’t know the chants or mantras or words of power like Sohee did. He simply ‘_believe in myself. Religion is all about faith isn’t it? Faith in a powerful force that will listen to you, that you should serve, and they in turn will grant your prayers? But in the end, aren’t we the masters of our own fate? Am I not, in the end, my own god? The decisions I make are my own and the results of it, are my own. Therefore I control it. I’m not going to pray to god for good grades, I need to study for that shit right? So I believe in myself- have faith in myself. And that’s what I do with all of this too. I have faith in myself.’_

And Minseok is inclined to believe Lu Han might be a tad, well, narcissistic. Or maybe egotistic would the correct word. But he can’t quite say that either.

‘I thought I heard something in the hallway,’ Lu Han tells him, picking out some of the kimchi and dropping it into his bowl of rice. He grabs Minseok’s shaker of sesame seeds and starts to shake it over his rice, ‘Ku over there started hissing, and then Ma followed too, and well, Mon over there doesn’t really care.’

Lu Han looks at Minseok expectedly, like he was waiting for Minseok to react a certain way. But honestly Minseok is mostly focused on the excess of sesame seeds in Lu Han’s bowl of rice. Instead, Mon, the large tabby, makes his way over to Minseok and lays at his feet luxuriously.

‘So what was it?’ Minseok asks.

Lu Han is still giving him expectant looks but replies, ‘Your buddy from last time. What’s that about by the way?’

Minseok hears Sohee’s voice in his head, telling him to trust Lu Han.

‘Sohee told me you exorcised me the other day,’ Minseok says instead, ‘What did _you _see?’

Lu Han groans, shoveling the rice into his mouth with relish and swallowing before replying, ‘Man, I hate exorcisms you know? It’s not really what I do, which is why it didn’t work the way it should have. But here we are!’

Minseok gives Lu Han an expectant look this time and the latter rolls his eyes before replying, ‘Something really wants you man, obsessed, I’d say. This is an entity that has latched itself onto you- feeding off of you, but not quite like, the typical way I’d say?’

Minseok grimaces, stomach bubbling. He pushes his plate away, leaning back and away from the table.

‘So, what’s all this about anyways?’ Lu Han repeats his question, reaching over to grab the rest of the side-dishes now that Minseok was clearly done with eating.

With some resignation and a lot of apprehension and a tiny glimmer of hope, Minseok tells Lu Han about his first memory. He tells him about the quiet touches of his hair, fingers smoothing out blanket covers, pitched yelling right at his ear, pressure over him as he slept, unable to stop it until he fell into the depths of a dark terrible sleep. He tells him about the different places he’s been to. About the greenhouse, the hostel- how he had been so young once more, but only temporarily- and he was himself once again. But then after that, he tells him about the dark tall shape, the return of the watchful eyes as he slept.

‘Oh yeah, you have a stalker,’ Lu Han concludes with a disgusted grimace. ‘This was is like, super obsessed. It’s gonna be tough getting rid of it. Idk if I can do it myself. We’re gonna need back up.’

‘Sohee?’

‘Not for this case,’ Lu Han shakes his head and waves a hand vaguely, ‘No offense to her of course, but her style won’t fit what we will need to do. I think I might know some people who can help.’

‘I do not want some massive exorcism ritual,’ Minseok frowns.

‘Calm down buns,’ Lu Han leans back and stretches his arms above his head, ‘For now you’re gonna have to really amp up your security. What do you think about getting a tattoo?’

‘Uh-?!’

There’s a rapid succession of knocks from his door and Minseok recognizes it instantly as Baekhyun. He takes this distraction very happily and darts out of his kitchen once more to get the door.

‘Hyung! You won’t believe what we captured yesterday!’ Baekhyun squeals, eyes bright and glittering.

‘Baekhyun-!’

‘Okay first of all the developers of this property are _assholes_-‘ Jongdae begins hotly.

But they both stop when there’s a loud _meow _and Ku, Ma, and Mon line up behind Minseok.

Both Jongdae and Baekhyun are instantly on the _floor_, arms outstretched as they both squeak out: ‘KITTY!’

The cats just look on with interest as Baekhyun and Jongdae drop their bags to the side and kick off their shoes, shuffling forward on hands and knees, making cooing sounds at the cats.

‘Hyung you didn’t tell us you adopted cats!’ Jongdae sounds offended.

‘Aren’t you babies adorable-!’ Baekhyun starts but then stops just as abruptly.

Minseok grimaces as he walks over to where his best-friends were kneeling. And sure enough, Lu Han is there.

How he moved to the sink, already washing dishes, Minseok has no idea. But he looks absolutely angelic, the light of the window behind him back lighting him beautifully.

‘Uh-‘ Baekhyun and Jongdae both stare up at Minseok and then back at Lu Han and then back at Minseok.

Lu Han lets out a small laugh, putting down the soapy plate and wiping his hand quickly on the front of his apron (when did he wear that?!), and waving at the two.

‘I’m Lu Han!’ he smiles brightly, ‘It’s nice to meet you two!’

‘Oh-‘ Jongdae blinks a little, as though taken aback, which was fair in many ways. After all, here was this stranger inside Minseok’s apartment, casually washing dishes. Said stranger is ethereally handsome. And there were 3 cats too.

‘Oh!’ Baekhyun stands up, ‘Uh- hi?’

‘You’ve met my babies!’ Lu Han exclaims, ‘This is Ku! That one is Ma, and that lazy bastard is Mon!’

‘Kumamon?!’ Jongdae exclaims.

‘Exactly!’ Lu Han claps before pointing accusatorily at Minseok, ‘He doesn’t know who Kumamon is!’

‘Hyung!’ Jongdae looks genuinely aghast.

‘Am I supposed to know? What a Kumamon is?’

‘Only one of the most famous mascots from Japan?!’

‘I don’t know much about Japanese mascots, sue me,’ Minseok frowns. ‘Also Lu Han this is Baekhyun and this is Jongdae-‘

‘Of course I know them!’ Lu Han declares cheerily, ‘I watch all of your episodes!’

Both Jongdae and Baekhyun flush with colour, immediately bashful at Lu Han’s comment.

‘Guys this is Lu Han. He’s a. Friend.’ Minseok manages to get out, ‘Of the family.’

If anyone is confused by this, no one says a word. 

‘He’s uh, moved in, down the hall,’ Minseok adds.

‘Hyung you have neighbours you know!’ Baekhyun laughs before traitorously adding, ‘He’s lived here for ages and doesn’t know a single neighbour by name!’

‘We don’t know all our neighbours either,’ Jongdae reminds Baekhyun before saying with the appropriate bow and formality, ‘It’s very nice to meet you! We hope you will enjoy your stay here!’

‘Yeah!’ Baekhyun adds, throwing in a belated greeting bow as though remembering he had forgotten to do so. ‘Did you just move into the city or just moved areas?’

‘I actually just got into the country a couple of months ago! I’m here to study!’ Lu Han tells them, stroking Ku who had leapt up into his arms gently.

‘That’s cool! What are you studying? Where?’ Jongdae asks as Minseok ushers them to the dining table.

‘I’m studying astrophysics at KITM,’ Lu Han beams, dropping Ku down to go back to the sink to finish his washing.

‘…isn’t KITM a graduate school?’ Baekhyun asks, looking up with a faint frown, as though confused.

‘Yes it is!’

‘You’re doing your masters? Oh but-…’ Baekhyun squints at Lu Han, ‘Oh no- are you like Minseok-hyung, you just look young but you’re like, 50.’

Lu Han laughs, delighted as he thoroughly washes out a bowl. Minseok busies himself with preparing tea for his friends. He’s not sure if Lu Han would want any but seeing as he had presented him as a family friend, it would be rude and odd not to include setting up a cup for his supposed family friend.

‘That’s very flattering! Thank you! But no I’m not doing my masters, I’m doing my PhD!’

Jongdae and Baekhyun’s eyes nearly drop out of their skulls.

‘A PhD-?!’

‘Is there a PhD for astrophysics?!’

‘Yes! To both questions!’

‘Woah,’ Baekhyun and Jongdae both still looked incredibly stunned. Minseok turns his back to his friends to roll his eyes to himself.

‘That must be expensive,’ Jongdae frowns, ‘I mean, I know well enough how expensive _our _tuition is, and it’s not like we’re studying a field related to science at a doctorate level.’

‘My part time job gives me good money,’ Lu Han replies as he finishes rinsing off the last of the bowls, ‘I am very lucky to have been blessed like this.’

‘Oh my god please hook me up with whatever your part time job is,’ Baekhyun kneels on the floor, sliding down from his seat. ‘I need enough money to get me a PhD and an apartment like this too.’

‘Why do you want a PhD?’ Minseok asks, bewildered.

‘I want enough money to afford a PhD, not actually study one,’ Baekhyun frowns, ‘That’s a different level of rich I most certainly am not.’

Minseok can barely hold back his eye roll before turning his back again, reaching for the electric kettle that just finished boiling.

‘Seriously I’m with him,’ Jongdae thumbs down at Baekhyun.

‘Oh, I don’t think…either of you could do it? At least, not authentically,’ Lu Han says apologetically.

‘What do you mean?’ Baekhyun tilts his head to the left a little.

‘I mean, I’m a psychic, so…’

Minseok looks around because he _has _to see their facial expressions.

‘You’re…a what?’ Baekhyun tilts his head to the right, smile still on his face.

‘A psychic!’

‘…ah.’ Jongdae blinks a few times before looking at Minseok expectantly, as though to explain this mess Lu Han has been unfolding from the kitchen.

‘Oh-OH!’ Baekhyun suddenly sits up on his knees, ‘That’s so cool! That’s amazing! What kind of psychic are you?’

‘I use all sorts of mediums to perform a spectrum of ceremonies,’ Lu Han explains, wiping his hands on a towel before walking over to the dining table again. ‘Of course, I read fortunes, cards, face, hands- I do aura readings too. But I mostly focus on divination-‘

‘Oh my god-‘

‘-and retrocognition.’

‘…what’s that?’ Baekhyun asks, tilting his head again.

And now everything makes sense.

‘Well, if divination is to gain insight into a situation, or possibly into the future, retrocognition is basically the opposite. We look into the past.’

‘Oh!’

‘Is that uh, useful?’ Jongdae frowns, clearly wanting an explanation but not wanting to sound aggressive or rude.

‘Very!’ Lu Han nods, ‘Many people bring items that belonged to lost loved ones, in hopes I can maybe find a connection to their memories with the object, or maybe even gain some insight into strange heirlooms that might be causing issues in the spiritual balance within a household. Maybe even look into a past buried deep within your mind, look into memories that are lost and yet ones that come to haunt you.’

‘Ah.’ Jongdae again looks at Minseok as though begging for an explanation to this.

‘Ah!’ Baekhyun’s eyes are shining. ‘This is so cool! I’ve always wanted to do a divination session but I’ve never found someone I thought I would trust! You’re Minseok-hyung’s friend! So I trust you!’

Minseok wants to scream. There’s a sharp glint in Lu Han’s eyes that goes unnoticed by both Jongdae and Baekhyun as he says, ‘I understand your mistrust and doubts! There are so many who pretend to do what has been taught down to me for generations- a science that is disregarded for its lack of theoretical and mathematical foundation. People who would take advantage of others. But to completely disregard the seat of responsibility so many of us carry within ourselves as we do our jobs. Because I believe, that I can help people more with what I can do, by reaching out to them through divination or retrocognition rather than lecture them on physics.

Does the account of comfort and love from a once cherished belonging of a lost love one weigh less than a hypothetical theory of black holes and quantum reality? I don’t think so.’

Jongdae is now desperately throwing Minseok wide eyed pleas for help whereas Baekhyun is nearly almost kneeling before Lu Han, cat in his hands.

‘Who wants tea?’ Minseok asks quickly, holding up the cups and gesturing to all of them to get to the table. He manages to settle everyone down, including all the cats who play about near their feet when he looks at his best friends and asks, ‘What brings you here? You said you had something to show me?’

‘Yes!’ Baekhyun exclaims gleefully as Jongdae sighs into his cup, his expression still fond though. ‘We set up motion sensors around that cursed hallway-,’ he pauses to look at Lu Han who leans in expectantly, eyes widening a little, expression very encouraging and genuine. ‘-um, I’ll quickly summarize this to you! I think you’ll find this fascinating!’

‘Yes please!’ Lu Han nods fervently. Baekhyun gives him a 3 minute rapid summary of everything and Lu Han’s reaction is so authentic Minseok has a moment where he wonders if what happened last night at the Not White House with Lu Han actually happened or not.

‘Wow!’ Lu Han exclaims, ‘I would love to see this place, but I think it might be beyond me to try and even reach into unless someone was in clear danger!’

Lu Han neatly dodges Minseok’s kick from under the table.

‘So anyways, we set up all of these motion sensors- one downstairs in the hallway leading to the kitchen area, and another on the cursed stairs.’ Baekhyun tells them excitedly, ‘And look we saw this!’

He’s fumbling with his phone as Jongdae adds, ‘The place was super dark though, gotta admit, the windows were oddly low, so it made light from the street outside weirdly muted? Baekhyun tripped and he was crawling for most of his solo tour around the place!’

‘I was not crawling the whole time, it was just downstairs for a few seconds-,’ Baekhyun frowns as he scrolls through his phone to access the video. ‘Besides, you got stuck in the kitchen hallway because you couldn’t see. Hyung, he looked so creepy I swear to god I was outside and I could see him just standing there, doing nothing.’

Minseok’s skin crawls, remembering what he’d seen in the Not White House.

‘Time sure is strange,’ Lu Han remarks, sipping tea from his cup, smiling to himself.

‘Ah! Here it is!’ Baekhyun shows him his phone screen, the video scrubbed forward significantly. The dots of the motion sensor lights are perfectly stationary and suddenly, a form erupts out of nowhere right where Minseok had slipped and fallen on the stairs, desperate to reach for his friends.

Lu Han lets out such a realistic gasp of shock Minseok is questioning him as a whole.

‘Isn’t that so freaky?!’ Baekhyun is vibrating in his seat as he turns to Jongdae, ‘You _can’t _say that was an insect or a gust of wind!’

‘Technical difficulties,’ Jongdae shrugs.

‘I hate you,’ Baekhyun smiles before doing a small dance, ‘This is some solid ass evidence.’

‘Did you find anything else?’ Minseok asks.

‘Spirit box had some strange ass things to say. It also smelled a lot like rain-‘

‘-yeah actually it did,’ Jongdae chimes in, ‘The upper floor smelled like it just finished raining. Very odd.’

‘My belief is that there’s some weird time-continuum thing going on,’ Baekhyun turns to Lu Han, ‘I would love to hear your opinion on the matter!’

‘Well, time is linear,’ Lu Han begins, ‘Time only stops being linear in our memories, where past, present, and even future takes place all at the same time. Whether we like it or not, time continues forward, and all of life, all of _now_, all of what we see and we experience right now, every moment, just continues to go forward forever and ever. This is what physics teaches us. However, our memory proves that maybe time isn’t linear. Time moves for us separately, as individuals. We all exist in this plane of existence, and yet, the lives you’ve lived, the time you’ve occupied, it’s all yours, unique to you- your perception of time, how it manifests around you- these are all different and non-linear. Memories are sometimes triggered, and you find yourself maybe reliving an emotion, a thought; for that moment, time is not of here and now- time has moved you back again.’

There’s a stunned silence, where even the cats have not made a single sound, no meows.

‘That was beautiful.’

Minseok and Baekhyun both look at Jongdae in surprise.

‘Thank you!’ Lu Han smiles.

‘But that didn’t answer the question!’ Jongdae waves a finger.

It makes Lu Han laugh.

‘I’m in a unique position to answer that question if I’m being honest,’ Lu Han admits, ‘But it’s possible that we don’t know enough about time. That we don’t understand what exists beyond this realm of possibility. What “possibility” even means. Because for us, possibilities is simply a summary of what we _think _we know, what we can imagine. And we, as humans, don’t know remotely enough to even begin to say things like _realm of possibility _because we are just too limited in what we know, limited in the confines of our imagination.’

‘So you’re saying that this could be real?’

‘By this you mean a possible time-warp within this Not White House, or supernatural stuff?’

‘Uh- both?’

‘As someone in my position, I will say that we don’t know enough of either to make conclusions. But I believe in what I see, and I believe in what I know, and I believe in what I feel.’ Lu Han smiles beatifically. ‘So despite everything, I am like everyone else in this.’

‘Woah,’ Baekhyun intones with awe while Jongdae genuinely looks impressed.

‘I can see why you and Minseok-hyung know each other!’ Jongdae adds, ‘I think you both have very similar outlooks.’

‘You’re right!’ Lu Han reaches over to take Minseok’s hand and squeezes it. Minseok fights the urge to throw a punch.

‘What do you think Minseok-hyung? With what we found and everything?’ Baekhyun leans in, eyes bright.

‘Well-,’ Minseok swallows hard. ‘I think that there are many things we do not understand- uh, like Lu Han said.’

There’s a very awkward 2 second silence where everyone looks at each other in rapid succession several times over before it’s broken very loudly by some truly horrendous retching cough sounds.

‘Oh no Ku, why would you do this to me right now?’ Lu Han wails as he kneels dramatically over his cat now coughing up a hairball.

‘I guess I’ll get going back!’ Lu Han declares, hauling his cats, hairball, and a Tupperware of leftovers Minseok had stored in his fridge. ‘And Minseok, please remember to have the ginseng extract it’s in the cupboard, third one from the right of the sink!’

Minseok could scream but he waves and smiles as brightly as he can, locking the door behind the chaotic man that was now his neighbour and spiritual guardian/protector.

‘He looks like a fun dude!’ Baekhyun says as Minseok comes back, already wiping up the floor where Ku had spat out a hairball with a disinfectant wipe.

‘How are you doing hyung?’ Jongdae asks, keeping their used cups away into the sink. ‘Feeling better?’

Minseok looks over at his best friends, an intense and overwhelming rush of gratitude rushing over him.

‘I’m doing better,’ Minseok replies honestly, ‘I think I needed that rest- kinda pushed me to…well, think things over I guess.’

Both Baekhyun and Jongdae give him wide smiles.

‘Thanks for coming over.’

‘Of course! Besides, I really did want to show you that clip and-‘

‘-he’s lying, we have some issues with some of the footage, it’s like something always happens when you’re not with us hyung.’

‘-99% of the reason why I wanted to come today was to check on hyung how dare you insinuate something else-!’

Minseok helps them out with their raw video footage- it was a normal regular issue with the render settings not matching up with the preexisting raw footage and Minseok helps them cut and put together the timeline before the two make to leave.

‘God, university is going to start soon, I’m not ready,’ Baekhyun sighs.

‘Well, I know I won’t really miss it,’ Minseok laughs as he coils up Baekhyun’s laptop charger cable and hands it to him.

‘Don’t you still need to do some shit at the faculty office?’ Jongdae inquires.

‘Yeah- about the final presentation. It’s nothing too much though,’ Minseok stretches a little before sitting back on his couch. ‘I just want to take a nice rest during this summer. Maybe start working out again.’

‘Oh no- please have mercy on us,’ Jongdae wails comically while Baekhyun laughs.

‘I’ll do my best,’ Minseok cackles.

‘You’re evil,’ Jongdae sends him a mock glare.

‘Also really hoping this flu thing won’t be a serious issue,’ Baekhyun adds, ‘It’s stressful enough with the air pollution if I’m being honest.’

‘Yeah,’ Jongdae wrinkles his face before adding, ‘I read online that it’s a bit like the common flu? It shouldn’t be too bad right?’

‘Let’s hope it’s not bad,’ Minseok nods.

He helps the two to the doorway, handing Baekhyun his camera bag and Jongdae his laptop case.

‘Oh yeah hyung, before I forget, someone was in front of your door,’ Jongdae tells him as he takes his case, ‘I think he might have gotten the wrong door number because he moved on down the hall.’

Cold trickles down Minseok’s spine at Jongdae’s words.

‘Either way! This year is gonna be great for us,’ Baekhyun nods confidently. ‘Chanyeol’s also been saying something about a new collab before he starts his tour.’

‘Oh,’ Minseok shakes himself out of his momentary shock, ‘Chanyeol’s going on a tour?’

‘Yeah!’ Jongdae nods enthusiastically, ‘He said it’ll be a small and local one. Also! Jongin contacted me the other day! Said he had some new place he wanted us to visit! A friend or something.’

‘Busy busy,’ Minseok smiles, eyeing the hallways nervously as he pokes his head out of the doorway.

‘We have the whole of 2020 hyung,’ Baekhyun beams, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he does a funny dance out in the hallway, ‘We have _plans_. This year is gonna be great!’

*

‘Hey guys!’

‘Ayeeee!!!

Special announcement video!!’

‘Like we announced on our Twitch stream a few days ago, we’ve been working on a new way to still continue creating content that is true to Unsolved Vlogs.’

‘And we have some good concrete ideas for the new season coming up next month!

However, for the remainder of how long we normally run a season, we still have a few videos left. And if anything, we love to stay on schedule!’

‘Exactly!

So after filming the Not White House episode, our semesters had started. And then of course, the pandemic hit us.’

‘Really hard.’

‘Hit us hard it did!’

‘So like we announced, we will be starting a new Unsolved content! And this time, we will be asking _you _to be a part of it!’

‘We’ve seen a lot of comments in the past, of people’s experiences regarding supernatural occurrences-‘

‘-whether personal or second-hand-‘

‘-and we want to know yours!’

‘So please submit your stories to us!

We want to know your stories and share them!’

‘If you have evidence, then that’s even better!’

‘But not a requirement!’

‘And like we said, we will also have special guests who come in to hear your stories, maybe even narrate!’

‘Thank you so much for your positive comments and for your support! We really mean it!’

‘We hope you will enjoy the new content coming up soon!’

‘Until then, stay safe, wear a mask, wash your hands, and be kind to yourselves!’

‘Bye!’

‘Bye! Thank you so much for your support!’

*

167 is average height: _awwww! This channel makes me so happy (and stressed and anxious and scared) and it’s been an honest to god, blessing this pandemic, and I’m so happy to see them doing their best to produce content! I look forward to it!!!_

Baguette Au Pain:_ Who is here even though they watched the twitch stream?_

Indigo_salad: _God I hope they bring in kyungsoo for the story reading_

Ride or Die: _MY TIME HAS COME I AM SUBMITTING MY STORIES TO UNSOLVED_

Mareete: _Seeing Minseok at the end there was enough to give me energy for this fucking zoom meeting I’m gonna have today_

HideoKojimaIsMyDad: _YES PERSONAL INDIVIDUAL STORIES I JUST KNOW IT’S GONNA BE GREAT PEOPLE BE OUT THERE EXPERIENCING REALLY WEIRD SHIT ALL THE TIME_

Erikyoooooooonggggg_ggg: _I’m sad they wont’ be able to go around and do what they normally do but im happy they’ve found a safe and still entertaining alternative!!_

Mmmh mmmh mmmh: _I can’t wait for special guests!!! I hope they bring in Chanyeol again!!! _

Hello Stranger: _Oh yesssssssssss perfect!!!! _

minghaoFrogagenda_: Wait…I just realized…if they ask for photo and video evidence…WE will also see them…so that means…-I’m not ready_

Give Reason an Oscar Right Now: _Might just get twitch and follow them on there too_

DaeDroid: _Jongdae’s quarantine hair is giving me life I love them_

This Is Kai’s Era: _Is Minseok…buffer than before…_

Lilithesue25:_@_This Is Kai’s Era_ he’s cuter than before for sure_

This Is Kai’s Era:_ @_Lilithesue25_ oh, absolute no doubt_

Sehun_omayaaaaaa: _@_This Is Kai’s Era_ and @_Lilithesue25_, lmao get in line_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> author's fucking notes
> 
> guys   
these past 2 weeks have been  
so terrible  
i can't even express tbh and i dont know if i even can tbh, but ive had to leave thailand where i've been living for 8 years, and ive had to come to back my home country and i just  
associate a lot of negativity and my years being very depressed here and the issue is idk how or when or if i can leave   
life is hard during a pandemic and financially i am not able to keep myself in thailand anymore  
updates might be much slower again, or who knows?? much faster because writing will be a way for me to completely disassociate and remove myself mentally from where i am so yeah  
but no worries! i'm not abandoning the story or anything!!!!! i would never!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
ALSO  
KAI  
MY MAN  
KIM JONGIN KAI WHAT A MAN  
THIS ALBUM IS STUNNING  
THE MUSCI VIDEO????????????? DONT GET???????? ME???????????? STARTED????????????????????????? I AM FLOORED  
ALSO WHO IN SM IS READING AMULGOE COME OUT AND MEET ME IN THE PARKING LOT WITH MY FUCKING MONEY

**Author's Note:**

> please feel free to come yell at me here: [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/Unclssfd_Senpai)
> 
> (Author’s Note)
> 
> So  
Its no secret that I  
Love  
CBX  
And ive always wanted to write a cbx fanfic  
And this one has no set chapters, or plotline, or storyline really. it’s just Minseok saving baekchen a lot, or going over spoopy stuff, etc. it’ll be mainly comedy  
But also horror  
Because  
I like that combination  
Im not sure how much of ships I will put in here, I’ll see how it goes  
But for now this is mainly for fun and laughs  
It’ll also be based on my own personal experiences with ghosts and supernatural stuff  
Ive mentioned this before in my other fics but  
Ive always been able to see and sense ghosts/supernatural stuff and so I’ll be using my experience and stories and other stuff with this fic eheheheheheehe  
I hope you enjoy the sporadic updates  
also, usernames are diffcult to come up with, if you're okay with it, can i use you guys's usernames on here as commenters, only if you say its okay!!! thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu


End file.
